


Parallel Chances

by gingergallifreyan



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Human Doctor (Doctor Who), Journey's End never happened, Rose is stuck in Pete's World, alternate Doctor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-07-06 15:46:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingergallifreyan/pseuds/gingergallifreyan
Summary: Seven years on from the beach, Rose was doing okay, so she decided to take an indefinite leave from UNIT and go on a well-earned vacation. She just wasn't expecting to see his face again on the zeppelin ride to Paris.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this WIP in the drafts for a bit. With recent 'canon' Pete's World stuff, I decided to brush it off and polish it up. It was my gateway drug to writing Teninch fic, so it means a lot to me. Hope you enjoy!

Seven years on from the beach, Rose was doing okay. She was happy with her little family, Mum and Dad and Tony. She and Mickey were best mates again. In fact, he was the one to pull her through after her efforts to get the dimension cannon up and running had failed. Four years of studying advanced sciences and technical work, all wasted. She could travel to different dimensions, but her home universe was completely sealed off.

After she'd mourned for a few days, Mickey had taken her for coffee. “You’re stuck, Rose, as much as I don’t want to say it. I know it hurts. But you’ve got to start living your life here instead of wishing you could be somewhere else.”

She was loathed to admit it, but he was right. So they went on vacation together for a month, touring around Southeast Asia and Australia.

She fought for contentment after that, to go on and live her life. It was what Doctor had all but said he wanted for her on that blasted beach, so she tried. She wanted to make him proud. Eventually, it didn’t hurt so much to admit she’d never see him again.

Three years later, she was due for another big vacation. She’d saved up money from her salary and decided to go on indefinite leave from UNIT and tour around Europe. She’d studied it to be familiar with the differences between her old and new universe, but now she wanted to see it.

–-

John Noble was 35, had a PhD in astrophysics, and was on sabbatical from lecturing at the University of Oxford.

His seat on the zeppelin was next to a blonde, currently staring out the port window.

He stowed his carry-on bag in the compartment above their seats and buckled himself in. “Hello,” he said with a grin.

She turned abruptly at the sound of his voice, her eyes wide.

His smile faded. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you—”

“Doc–Doctor?” she breathed.

“People call me that, yeah, but the name’s John Noble.” He held out his hand.

She searched his face as if seeing a ghost.

“Sorry, do I know you?” He furrowed his brows and tilted his head, slowly withdrawing his hand as his mind raced to place her. He couldn’t recall meeting her, but her face was familiar. And beautiful. He’d certainly remember meeting her face.

Tears welled up. “Sorry.” She fumbled for the buckle on her seat belt.  “Excuse me.”

He caught her elbow as she stumbled over his foot. “Here, let me—”

She flinched at his touch. “I’m sorry.” She hurried to the loo.

He puzzled for a moment, wondering how he could have possibly upset her.

–-

The mystery woman didn’t return until just before departure. He stood when he spotted her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, ‘m fine, thanks.” She quietly sat in her seat and buckled the belt.

“I’m sorry if I’ve upset you in some way. I can see about changing seats if you’d prefer.”

She wouldn’t look at him. “No, you’re fine. I didn’t mean to…”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Her eyes traced patterns in the carpet. “No, you just look like someone I used to know, ’s all.”

“Used to?”

“I lost him.”

“I can see why you’re upset.”

“‘S alright, I promise. It’s been a few years. Just wasn’t prepared.”

“Death is funny like that. Grief never quite leaves us.”

“He didn’t… it’s complicated.” A look of stress momentarily passed over her features and she stared out the port hole.

He decided it was best to leave her alone. He turned on his tablet and continued his work on some schematics for a telescope.

–-

“John, right?”

“Hm?” He looked up in surprise to find the woman watching him. The zeppelin had already begun its descent.

“Your name?”

“Yes.” He smiled gently. “John Noble. You?”

“Rose.”

“Rose. Nice to meet you, Rose.” The more he looked at her, the more she seemed familiar. Where had he seen her before?

“What are you traveling for?”

“Sabbatical. I’m a lecturer and researcher at Oxford.”

“What’s your field?”

“Astrophysics. All kinds of physics and science-y stuff.”

She smiled wistfully and looked away. “Would be, wouldn’t it?”

He imagined that had something to do with her ‘him,’ so he tried to change the subject. “What about you?”

“Holiday. Just needed to get out of London for a while. Needed an adventure.”

“What are your plans for your adventure?”

“Hole up in Paris for a bit. I don't know. Not sure where I’m headed after that.”

“Making it up as you go along?”

She smiled a little. “But I do it brilliantly.” She paused. “He and I used to travel a bit, never stayed in one place for too long. I stay at home now, but every now and then I get restless.”

“I still feel terrible about earlier. Can I take you for lunch sometime, just as an apology?”

“Erm, sure. Why not? It’ll be nice to have someone I know in the city.”

He smiled. “Great.” He scribbled on the napkin he’d received with his snack and handed it to her. “Call me when it’s good for you, Rose.” He stood and reached for her luggage in the compartment above them.

“Will do. And thanks for getting this down.” She pocketed the napkin and wheeled away with her bag.

–-

A week later, his mobile rang, an unfamiliar number displayed on the screen. He mentally crossed his fingers. “Hello?”

“Hi, John? This is Rose, from the zeppelin.”

He mentally cartwheeled around the room. “How could I forget? How are you?”

“Fine. Ready to cash in on that lunch offer?”

“I’d be delighted.”

“If I’m not interrupting your plans or anything. I’m sure you have plenty to do.”

“Rose, I’m on sabbatical. I can do whatever the I want, whenever the hell I want. The whole city is at my disposal.” A cheeky grin lit up his features and his voice.

She hesitated. “Where should I meet you?”

“Where are you staying?”

“I can meet you somewhere. It’s no problem.”

“No, it’s alright. I insist.”

“Well, I insist you don’t.”

He chuckled. “You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

“As they come. So where am I meeting you?”

“Alright, then. Ehm, how about _Au Coin de la Rue_? Right around the corner from the _Musée de l'Armée_ and _Musée Rodin_ , if you’d fancy a stroll through those?”

“Sure, yeah. And your French is impeccable.”

“Bit of a linguist, me.”

She sounded mildly annoyed. “Physicist and a linguist. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?”

“I’ve been known to dabble in mechanics and the medical sciences. Little bit of everything, I guess.”

“Alright. I’ll see you later. Round noon, maybe?” Her voice was flat.

“Sounds like a plan. It’s on _Rue de Grenelle.”_

“I’ll put it in my mobile. Bye, John.”

“See you, Rose.” Her face still nagged at him, even though he’d tried not to let it bother him for the week… and after she hung up, it hit him square between the eyes. “Tyler. Oh, I’m so stupid! Rose Tyler, the Vitex heiress! And Torchwood! Or UNIT, really. Oh, Rose Tyler, the real question is, what do you have up your sleeve?”

–-

“Shit.” She scrubbed her face with her hands and flopped back onto her bed.

He was trouble, she knew. Somehow, this universe had a parallel version of the Doctor. It had thrown her at first, seeing his face, hearing his voice, feeling the ache of missing him all over again.

She should stay away from him. Really, she should, but her feet carried her to the bus stop anyway.

–-

“I should stay away from him,” she said as she stepped off the bus near the cafe. “This is a terrible idea.”

Then she saw John standing by the door, all skinny jeans and Adidas trainers with a white t-shirt under a light blue, half-buttoned Oxford. He’d rolled the sleeves halfway up his arms, and his hair was all spiked up. He spotted her standing there and grinned warmly, giving a little wave.

Rose closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. _He’s not the Doctor,_ she reminded herself, even though he looks just like him, has a lot of the same personality. The Doctor would never be caught dead in denim, not her second Doctor. She opened her eyes and willed herself to walk forward.

“Are you alright?” His eyebrows were furrowed.

She feigned a smile. “Yeah, I’m always alright.”

“Lovely day, innit?”

“Quite.”

“Shall we?” He held the door for her, knowing very well she was not alright. She was, rather, fiercely independent and loyal. And a mystery. He loved a good mystery.

–

Lunch was quiet but pleasant as they lightly exchanged opinions on various topics. They’d decided to head to the Louvre to peruse the paintings. John knew so much history about almost every famous work of art, but then again, he would. When he didn’t know something, he’d make it up, and even made her laugh. She’d notice him staring, and then she’d sober up and walk to the next interesting thing.

Then they came to the Mona Lisa.

“Strange to me that she’s not smiling,” she said softly.

“What do you mean she’s not smiling? The Mona Lisa has never smiled.”

“She–” She stopped herself before she said too much.

Now or never. “This is probably a horrible way to start, but can I ask you a question, Rose Tyler?”

She swallowed. “I never told you my surname.”

He held up his hands, palms out. “I know you’re not inclined to share much, and I’m not trying to pry, but are you related to Pete Tyler, by chance?”

Her face hardened. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“I know it’s not—”

“What, are you secretly working for the paps? Are you a fucking journalist? I’ve already had I don’t know how many exposés written on me. What more could the world feel entitled to know?”

“I’m not a journalist. But if you’d just—”

“I knew this was a bad idea.” She turned. “I should have listened to myself.”

He desperately reached for her. “Can you listen to me for a moment?”

She tore her hand from his and stepped back.

“Please. Something happened a long time ago, something to do with UNIT. I didn’t ask you to lunch because I wanted answers, but maybe you could tell me something.”

She softened and crossed her arm over her stomach.

“Pete Tyler runs Vitex, but he’s also the head of Torchwood, right? Used to be, anyway, before it became UNIT.”

She nodded.

“He was part of the team that stopped the Cybermen about ten years ago. I remember, even though I wasn’t in London at the time.”

“Where were you?” she asked softly. 

“Working at NASA. Not as an astronaut, though I’ve always wondered what it would be like up there.” The corner of his lips turned up as he looked at the ceiling. “Where were you?”

She pursed her lips.

“Complicated?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it... does it have to do with him?”

She stared at the floor. Her silence betrayed her.

“I have to ask. I don’t pay attention to the gossip rags, never have, but your story was so bizarre that it gripped the whole world.”

“I know. I hated it. I tried to keep my head down for years, but I only did the important interviews to appease my mum. I was too busy anyway.”

“And pardon my curiosity, but you showed up a little over three years later after Cybus Industries was shut down. Out of the blue, the Tylers have a daughter, and Jackie emerged from the shadows as well. I know the story was that you’d been kept hidden until you wanted to be known, but I sense there was more. Had to be more, because all that climate change seemed to have resolved itself around the time you two showed up. Who are you, really?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Try me. Can’t be more bizarre than human brains being wired into a suit made of metal. And UNIT works with all kinds of bizarre science anyway, verging on the extraterrestrial. You’re not really an alien, are you?” He grinned and nudged her with his elbow.

“No.” She blinked back tears.

“I know I’ve crossed a line and I'm sorry. This was a horrible time to bring this up. I’ve never been good at being polite.”

“Bit rude, are you?”

“As it happens, I am. And you don’t have to share if you don’t want to. What d’you say we head out of here? Notre Dame is just a few steps away. Vespers starts soon. Beautiful to listen to, and at least you won’t have to listen to me for a while.”

Could she really blame him for being curious? If they were going to be acquaintances at the very least, he was bound to ask sometime. He just happened to do so while she was extra sensitive. So she agreed.

–

They strolled down the avenue towards a bus stop as the sun began to set.

John asked, “When are you headed out?”

“I dunno. Probably tomorrow or the day after.”

“Where to?”

“Was thinking Lucerne? I’ve heard it’s gorgeous. Haven’t been there yet.”

“I was, ehm—” he tugged on his ear— “I was wondering if maybe I could travel parallel to you. Would you mind if I showed up in the same place?”

Her heart pounded. They were only acquaintances, right? What was the harm in that? Maybe it would be nice to have someone to travel with again. “Sure. That’d be fine, yeah. And you still need to ask me whatever about UNIT.”

He smiled brightly. “Great. I’ll see you in Switzerland, then.”

“Yeah, guess so.”

“Call me to let me know you made it? Or text. Whatever. If you want, I mean. You don’t have to. And,” he added, carding a hand through his hair, “I really am sorry about earlier.”

“It’s fine.” Her bus rounded the corner. “I’ll let you know when I’m there. Bye.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile before boarding.

 _At least she didn’t tell me no,_ he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie is the bomb mom dot com.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I won't upload this to tumblr for a day or two. Since you all have given me such lovely feedback, I felt like getting this one out tonight.

“Shit,” she told herself on the way back to her hotel. She shouldn’t have said yes. She really shouldn't spend any more time with him.

She flopped onto her bed, her forearm resting over her eyes.

She picked up her mobile, turning to the one person who would sort of understand what she was going through, knowing she’d probably regret this later. “Mum, you would not believe what’s happened.”

“What’s wrong, love?”

“On the zeppelin to Paris.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t go crazy when I say this, Mum, because it doesn’t mean anything, but there was… someone on the zeppelin.”

“Oh, do tell, Rose! You’ve met someone? Must be pretty special if you’ve given him any of your time.”

“It’s not like that!”

“Woman, then?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, Mum.”

“I’m not judging, love. Whatever’s your fancy and all that. What’s he like, then?”

“He’s... Mum, he’s a parallel version of the Doctor.”

“You’re kidding. There’s a bleeding Time Lord in this universe?”

“No! No, he’s human. Looks just like him, though.”

“Which one?”

“The second. Doesn't wear pinstripes, though. Not that I’ve seen. He wears street clothes.”

“Still all smart as himself?”

“Yeah. Brilliant.” She inhaled. “PhD in astrophysics.

“As if it’d be anything else. How are you feeling?”

“I wasn’t ready for how much I still miss him.”

“I know. That never really goes away, sweetheart. I thought of Pete every time I looked at you, seeing him in you. I still miss him, even with my new Pete, and it’s been a few years on.”

Rose swallowed.

When she didn’t say anything, Jackie filled the silence. “So what have you been doing in Paris? Been sightseeing and all that?”

“Yeah. I don’t know why, but I’ve been around with John today. Saw a few museums, the Louvre. And the Notre Dame. Did you know the Mona Lisa doesn’t smile over here?”

“That his name, then?”

“John Noble, yeah.”

“Have you enjoyed spending time with John?”

“Sort of, yeah, but it doesn’t mean anything.” She huffed. “He’s not the Doctor.”

“I know he’s not, love. No need to be defensive. Tell me about him.”

“He’s on at Oxford, on sabbatical, so he’s just traveling. He remembered the Cybermen. Was ten years ago for him.”

“Yeah?”

“He was in an internship with NASA, so he wasn’t over here.”

“So he wouldn’t have seen you and himself, right?”

“No. He asked about me, and you, how we hadn’t shown up til three years later.”

“Oh! Doesn’t even know me from Adam and he wants to know about me. That’s a lot nicer than your bloke telling you to put me on slow heat and let me simmer.”

“Mum, he didn’t mean it! I never should have told you that.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him it’s complicated.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

She shook her head in frustration. “I don’t know. Why do I need to? It’s not his business.”

“Oi! What are you, bloody fifteen again?”

She sighed. “No, sorry. It’s just been a hard day.”

“I know. And you’re right. It’s not his business.”

“But? I know there’s a ‘but’ on the tip of your tongue.”

“No ‘but,’ love. Not that you’d listen if I gave you one. Where are you headed next?”

“Was thinking Lucerne.”

“Do you think you’ll see John again?”

“He sort of asked to travel in the same direction as me.” She added quickly, “We’re not traveling together, Mum, before you say anything. We’re just… barely friends, I guess.”

“I know, sweetheart. Hope you have fun. Tony says he misses you. Pete’s sending his hello, too.”

Rose smiled. “Tell them hello.”

“One more thing before I let you go.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah?”

“I’ll not say anything else unless you want me to, but—”

Rose groaned. “I knew there was a but.”

“I just want you to think about something, and this’ll be the only time I say it, unless you need to hear it again. You may not want to listen, but hear me out. Please?”

“Fine.”

“The Doctor, I know he would want you to be happy. And I know how much he meant to you. And he loves you, even if he never was able to say it. But, sweetheart, he would want you to be happy. I’m not saying anything needs to happen with this John, but what if something does? Or what if you meet someone else that you go mad over? You need to be prepared for that, and I don’t want you to feel guilty for wanting to be happy, and the Doctor wouldn’t want you to feel that way either.

“I’m only saying all this because I did at first, felt guilty. But seven years on, me and this Pete are doing fine, and we’re just as in love as I ever was with my first Pete. And, no, he’s not the same, and he doesn’t replace my first Pete, and I still miss him, but the love we have now is different. Loving the new Pete doesn’t mean that I don’t love the old Pete or I’m betraying him. And it’s not so different from when your first Doctor changed. I remember how heartbroken you were.”

“Why are you telling me this, Mum? I’m not trying to fall in love again.” A lump grew in her throat. “Not sure that I ever could.”

“I know, love. Because I’ve been where you are, and I know you. You’re as stubborn as me. That’s how the Tyler women are. I just don’t want you to close yourself off and miss out on anything.”

“I just met him, Mum, a week ago.”

“So why did you agree to let him travel in the same direction as you?”

“I dunno.”

“Right. I’ll leave you to sort yourself out. I’ve got to go. Me and Pete, we’re headed out. I love you.”

“Love you, Mum.”

“Have a good time in Switzerland.”

Rose ended the call. She groaned and pulled out her laptop to look up zeppelin flights to Bern.

–

“What was all that about with Rose?” Pete asked in the car, arm over Jackie’s shoulders in the back seat.

“There’s another Doctor.”

“Another?” He sighed and scratched his forehead. “Christ, how are we going to handle that?”

“He’s not a Time Lord. He’s like a… a human version of him.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh. How does Rose feel?”

“Iced at the moment. He happened to sit next to her on the zeppelin to Paris. She says she’s been around with him a bit.”

“What’s he like? Did she say?”

“He’s almost just like himself. Looks the same, still brilliant. He’s a professor at Oxford on sabbatical.”

A sly grin crossed his features. “I can look him up if you’d like.”

She smiled. “We shouldn’t.”

“You know you want to.”

She smacked his arm lightly. “We shouldn’t go digging where Rose doesn’t want us to. She’d be livid if she found out. Oh, you didn’t see her when I tried to talk her out of that wanker Jimmy Stone. She was furious with me for so long. And besides, Pete Tyler,” she scolded, waving her finger in his face, “that’s an improper use of company resources. Krista wouldn’t be happy.”

He grabbed her hand playfully. “If he’s on at Oxford, he’ll be listed on the faculty. Just Gaggle him, Jackie.”

“Oh, right.” She giggled. “Hadn’t thought of that.”

Pete chuckled.

 “John Noble, Oxford,” she said as she typed on her mobile. “Oh, my god, Pete. Pete, look at him!” She smacked his arm.

He’d long since gotten past wincing at her bouts of shouting; rather, he loved her exuberance. He took the phone from her waiting hand. “Oh, wow. He’s…”

“The very image of him, right? And he must be a genius if he has a position at Oxford.”

“Only thirty-five. Can’t imagine that was easy for Rose, seeing him.”

“It wasn’t, but like I said, she’s spent time with him in the last week anyway. Could be a good sign.”

“Do you think anything will come of it?”

“I don’t know, and I can’t push her. That Doctor was her whole world. Still is, even after all this time. That’s what happens when you love someone, though.”

“We’ve made a good go of it, haven't we?”

She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m so happy with you, Pete Tyler. Unbelievably.”

He cupped her cheeks. “I love you, Jackie Tyler.” He kissed her a second time, and they giggled like randy teenagers.

Jackie eventually leaned back against the seat. “Rose may get to the point where she could be ready for someone else. Count on her to find someone like the Doctor, though. He asked if he could travel with her. Not _with_ her, really, but to the same place.”

“What did she say?”

“She didn’t tell him no. He’ll be meeting her when she goes to Switzerland next.”

“Good for her. I just want to see her happy. Not that she hasn’t been. Not that she needs someone else to be happy, but—” He shrugged. "It's different when you've lost your companion. You and I know."

“I know. We all want to see her happy, and the Doctor would, too.”

“We’ll just have to wait it out and see.”

–-

Why did she agree? Rose couldn’t sleep as the question gnawed at her. He’s not the Doctor.

 _What about you? Are you…?_ Seeing anyone, he might have asked.

She’d replayed their last conversation on that wretched beach countless times. Less often as time went by, but she still remembered his face as if it were yesterday.

She’d gone through every emotion she could about it, but at the moment, she was irritated. “As if I could _ever_ see anyone else,” she muttered. “Still can’t.” She rolled over onto her side and huffed. "And I wouldn't, not even if I wanted to."

How he’d glanced Mickey’s way when she’d pulled his leg about her mum being pregnant. She rolled her eyes.

She and the Doctor had finally stopped beating around the bush and gave in to each other a while before Canary Wharf. They’d both known it was inevitable after the Wire and the pit and the beast. A few times they’d made love, and it had been beautiful.

“As if I could sleep with anyone else after you.”

She remembered meeting Sarah Jane, how she’d confronted the Doctor about being left behind. She wished she could call her, because now she understood her feelings, but she couldn’t even do that.

Tears welled up. She clutched her pillow and wept into it.

“I miss you. God, I miss you so much, Doctor. I miss you, and I miss the TARDIS, and I miss the running.” She sniffed. “Don't get me wrong. I'm happy with my family. I love Tony most of all, I think, and you’d love him, too. But I _miss_ you, you stupid alien.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens in Lucerne. We're nearly to the crux of Rose's crisis.

_I need him to show me he’s different,_ she told herself on the zeppelin to Bern. She didn't think she could be around him otherwise, even as a friend. To have a man who was the Doctor, for all intents and purposes, but missing their relationship, missing the memories she’d made with him... that would be too painful. If he proved himself to be different in more than just wardrobe, though, she'd be more willing to at least get to know him.

When she’d finally made it to her hotel after riding the train, she texted Jackie to let her know she was safe. Then she called John. “Long day, but I made it.”

“Great, glad to hear it. So, er, I’m already in Lucerne as well. Decided to call off Paris early, and I took a late zeppelin last night.”

“Oh.” She blushed. He _really_ wanted to spend time with her. She didn’t know whether to be flattered or terrified.

“Did you have plans for tomorrow?”

“Not particularly.”

“Would you like to walk around Old Town? We could go on a tour. Well, I could give you the tour, really. And there’s a gorgeous Jesuit church near the old bridge. The water from the fountains is the best you’ll ever taste. And you've got to see the big lion.”

“Have you been to Lucerne before?”

“I've been to a lot of places.”

“Don’t you want to do something you haven't done?”

“I don’t mind at all. I usually travel by myself. Things I’ve seen before take on a different meaning when I see them through someone else’s eyes.”

“You travel by yourself?”

“Yeah. I have my family in Chiswick. My sister, Donna, and my Granddad, Wilf. Our parents passed a few years ago. I don’t suppose I stay still long enough to become attached to anyone anymore. Either that or I’ve got my head stuck in a book when I’m grounded. Genius doesn't cultivate itself, you know.”

 _So that’s why he’s being so friendly,_ thought Rose. _He’s lonely and just wants a friend. I can do that._ “Alright. Well, I suppose I can meet you tomorrow. Where and when?”

“Ten, on the bridge? There’s some benches right in the middle.”

“Eh…”

“What’s up?”

“Ten might be too early. I really like sleeping. And I’m on vacation.”

“And I hardly sleep. What time would be more conducive to your sleeping habits?”

“I'll compromise and say eleven?”

“Eleven it is, then.”

–-

“There’s a few little shops in the train station,” John said. They’d just crossed the bridge out of Old Town. “Want a sandwich or something? My treat.”

“Do you like a little shop?”

He grinned widely. “Love a little shop, me.”

She didn’t smile. “I’ll just go sit on the steps by the river. Whatever’s fine.”

“Beware the swans. I tried to eat a sausage over there once and they wouldn’t leave me alone.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I think I can handle a swan, John.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Rose made her way down the street back, and he watched her walk away.

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Blimey, she’s a tough nut to crack. I know I’m not out in the community much, but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” There’d been times when he’d relay some information, and she seemed preoccupied, so he’d say something stupid to get her attention, some outrageous historical fact he’d made up, but she wouldn’t laugh. And he always made people laugh. Reading whatever audience he'd captivated was easy for him. Rose, on the other had... he had no idea what to do with Rose.

She wouldn’t even look at him most of the time, but that he understood if he had the same appearance as the man she'd lost. No, it had to be deeper than what she was letting on. Surely this mystery man couldn’t have had the same personality. As far as he knew, Sylvia Noble hadn’t borne twins and given one up for adoption. He seriously considered for a moment texting Donna, and he wouldn’t have even been upset about her hiding that from him if that was really the answer in this case. Then again, he wasn’t looking forward to the grilling he’d get as to why he was asking and who was this woman he was trying to impress. John hadn’t followed the gossip rags, but Donna had, and he wouldn’t subject Rose to her prying.

He made his way down an escalator in search of some grub, his brain running on all cylinders as to how to salvage the rest of their day. If, that is, Rose was still interested in giving him her time.

\--

Rose couldn’t take much more of this.

John was _just_ like the Doctor. How he told stories, how he carried himself, all his little quirks. What kind of cruel trick were the universes playing on her? They had ripped her away from him, and now they were taunting her with a carbon copy of him.

The only solution was to leave that night without telling him and block his number. She’d go somewhere else, back to Thailand maybe, and spend a few weeks hiring a hut on a remote island resort. It wasn’t their rainy season yet, so she’d still be able to enjoy the sun and sand virtually alone and she could forget this whole awful experience. Maybe the resort would have a hot, ripped cabana boy, with whom she drown her sorrows in a few nights of passionate love making. Maybe that’s all she needed to shake her out of her funk, to do something completely bonkers.

“Sandwich?” John’s voice shook her from her thoughts. “Tomato and basil, toasted. Is that alright? I hope it’s cooled enough from the walk over.”

“Yeah, fine.” She shrugged and took it. “Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem.” He tossed a fruit in the air.

Pear, Rose noted, as he caught and lifted it to his mouth. Oh, god, this was not going to be good. Maybe he wasn't aware of what he’d picked up?

He wiped the juice from his chin and froze when he noticed her staring. “Do I have three heads now?”

She blinked. “I'm... sorry, but you just ate a pear.”

“I did, yeah. I happen to like pears. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. Do you fancy bananas, by chance?”

He scrunched up his nose. “Christ, no, bananas are disgusting. The texture is appalling. They taste awful. And you buy them green from the store and by the time you bring them home, they’ve fully browned. Terribly impractical, if you ask me.”

Rose giggled. And giggled some more. And then doubled over in laughter.

He stared.

“I'm sorry. ‘S just funny to me.” She smiled, biting her lip to keep from laughing some more.

His eyes darted to her mouth and back to her eyes. “Quite alright.” A smile slowly crept across his face, and then he took another bite. “Do you not care for pears?”

“I don't care either way. It just surprised me that you do. And it’s hilarious to me that you hate bananas.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”

“Maybe I'll tell you sometime.”

“I'd... I’d like that. If you did.” He warmly smiled.

She turned her attention to her sandwich. So he wasn’t completely like the Doctor. That was what she’d hoped for, wasn’t it? Was it alright that she suddenly felt a little freer to enjoy his company?

And then he opened his gob, presumably because she hadn’t said anything. He dropped his gaze and cleared his throat. “Of course, you don't have to. That’s totally up to you. I don't want to make you uncomfortable—”

Rose closed her eyes. Not so different after all. Silence set him on edge, too. She smiled. “What are we doing next?”

“Ehm…” The smoke was nearly pouring out of his ears. “We can go on a boat tour of the lake?”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Yeah?” He grinned.

“Yeah.”

“Could we make it a dinner cruise?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not asking me to dinner, are you?”

“No!” He looked horrified. “No. Just as, y’know, friends. If you consider us friends?”

“Friends. Yeah, I can do that.”

–-

They’d said it wasn’t a dinner as more than just friends, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. Rose tried to convince herself she was putting effort into her appearance, opting to curl her long hair rather than leave it in its messy bun, even shopping for a simple dress at one of the shops she'd seen earlier, because it was a nice dinner on a nice boat on a nice lake. Definitely not because she was meeting a man for said dinner on said boat on said lake. And judging by John’s velvet blazer and cologne and the way he didn’t talk much as they sat, he certainly wasn’t nervous, either.

It was too early to think about being nervous because of him. Because she wasn’t quite ready to think about moving on.

“D’you want some wine?” he asked, eyes not leaving the menu.

“I could certainly use some, that’s for sure.”

“That bad already? We just sat down.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “No, you’re fine.”

“Oh. That’s a relief. You pick the bottle, then.”

“We’re splitting it, right?”

“If you insist.”

“You know the answer to that one by now, I should think.”

“Never argue with Rose Tyler, I’ve learned.”

“Correct.”

Dinner eaten and a lovely Riesling in hand, and a little braver for it, she decided to repay him for all his grilling her with questions in Paris. Something needed to give between them anyway. “John?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you seriously, like, have your head in a book all the time?”

“Yes, when I’m not doing other things. Why?”

“You don’t have any friends?”

“My friends are the people I meet on my journeys.”

She snorted. “That was utter shit.”

“I had a good friend. Once. He… well, he turned out to not be the good friend I thought he was.”

“What happened? So you don't want to make other friends now?”

“Story for another day.”

“Fair enough. I have my secrets and you have yours.”

“Sounds like a good basis for a friendship.”

“It’s perfect.” She laughed. And then she thought if they were going to be friends and they were going to avoid sharing all the juicy details from their private lives, they were going to need a distraction. (She'd learned from the best on that one.) “Do you ever get the urge to… I dunno, do something crazy?”

“What d’you mean?”

“All we’ve done are walking things, here and in Paris, and this boat.”

“Do you not like boats and walking?”

“I do, and it’s been lovely. And _safe.”_

“We’ve only just met. One almost needs to play it _safe.”_

“I'm tired of _safe.”_

He looked pleasantly surprised and leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. “What did you have in mind?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Do you consider yourself a brave man, John Noble?”

“Ha!” He slapped his palm on the table. “I have paddled down the Amazon River, piloted a seaplane, and rappelled down cavern walls. I've helped give birth to Highland coos in the rolling hills of Scotland and camped out in the Grand Canyon so I could see the arm of the Milky Way without any light pollution. I've mushed a sled across the frozen landscape of Alaska and scuba dived with a shiver of sharks, and you, Rose Tyler, have the nerve to ask me if I'm brave enough for whatever it is you’d like to throw at me?”

“I think you're making half of that up.”

“I most certainly am not. Many things am I, but a liar is not one of them.”

“You are.”

“I have the pictures to prove it, and I'll show you when we get back to London. Now, pick your poison. What is it you’d like to do?”

“Base jumping down the mountains. I saw it in a brochure in the lobby of my hotel.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That sounds like an adventure indeed. Leave it to me. You just be ready tomorrow.”

–-

“You sure you want to do this?” he asked as the cogwheel car ascended its track on Mount Pilatus.

“I’m sure. I wouldn’t have said so if I wasn’t.”

“People have died doing this, Rose.”

She rolled her eyes. “People have died doing lots of things, John.”

“You said you used to travel a lot. Have you done anything like this?”

“Yeah. It’s just been a while. I think I need it.”

“Maybe the wind will shake a few apples loose?”

“Or bananas.”

“All the bananas could fall out of the tree for all I care. Out of every tree, and then they could never grow back.”

She giggled. “It’s still weird to me that you hate bananas.”

His voice was considerably quieter. “I’m sure if you stick around long enough, you’ll find a lot about me is weird.”

So much for a _friendly_ distraction. Hardly friendly territory, with his gaze boring into her so intently.

She turned her attention to the scenery when it overwhelmed her. “It’s gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve seen greener grass.”

“The saying shouldn’t be that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. The grass is, however, greener in Switzerland. Now, I know you said you’ve done lots of things, of which I’ve yet to hear about, but have you done this before?”

“Not this in particular. I’ve bungee jumped into a canyon, among other things. Crashed a wedding doing it, too.” _The Doctor caught the bouquet in his teeth,_ but she didn't add that. She'd also hung out of the doors of the TARDIS as they orbited around a supernova, but that would be going a step too far to share with John.

He nodded. “Almost the same thing.” He spent the rest of the ride giving her tips on how to control the suit and about releasing the parachute when it was time to land. Once at the top, they spent a few moments taking in the sights from the peak before gearing up. John jumped first and Rose followed.

Flying down the side of the mountain, the rush and the air and defying gravity had her feeling freer than she had in years.

–-

“Where are you going next?” he asked. They’d just stepped off the boat upon their return to the city.

Restless in his own way, she mused. “I picked this leg. Your turn next.”

“Really?” He grinned. “You don’t mind me tagging along?”

She shrugged. “Since you’ve done so much, I figure you’re full of ideas, or something else.”

“If you were to open me up, the only thing you’d find is a lust for adventure.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Is ‘a lust for adventure’ the particular brand of cheese you stuff yourself with?”

“A lust for adventure and an itch for a mean gelato. What d’you think?”

“I could go for some gelato. And chips. I’m starving.”

Food in hand, they sat at a table of the small café.

“So here’s what I’m thinking. Egypt. We could tour the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx?”

“That’s a far cry from Europe, innit?”

“Never been? You’d like it, I think.”

“Why?”

“Most of the Pharaohs were women. That’s what made that society so unique, while men ruled the rest of the world. Certainly withstood the Greeks and the Romans far longer than anyone thought they could. Haven’t you taken any world history courses in that wealthy schooling of yours? I'd've figured you'd been there at least once. You can't have traveled the world and not been to see the Great Pyramids of Giza.”

Right. She was in a parallel world. “Of course, I’d forgotten…”

“Forgotten what?”

 _Please don’t ask any more._ Suddenly weary, guilt twisted her heart as she'd momentarily forgotten where she was. “Just haven’t thought about it for a while.”

He examined her for a second longer. “Anyway, you stay in the city, and then you ride on camel back out to the site. You could always ride in the Jeeps, but that’s not nearly as exciting as riding a camel out in the desert. You alright? You're not alright. I'll stop talking now.”

“Yeah, ‘m just tired. I’d rather just go back to my room for the night.”

“Of course,” he said softly.

“It’s not you, I promise.”

“No, no, you take the time you need. Do you want me to walk you—”

“I can make it on my own. I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

“Alright.”

She picked up her cup of gelato and stood. “Thanks for today,” she said, giving him a tight-lipped smile before leaving.

“At least the woman has her priorities straight,” he mused.

The little cafe had a nice view of the front of the bridge, the side that faced the lake. She stopped in the middle and propped her elbows up on the wood. He couldn’t see her face clearly because of the distance, but her swiping at her eyes was confirmation enough. How could talking about Egypt have possibly set her off? Whatever was going on with her, it wasn’t him, to his relief, and he had to take it on faith she really meant it. Whatever she wasn’t sharing aside, she seemed to be one of the most genuine people he’d ever met, and he desperately wanted the chance to know her more.

More than anything, though, he wanted for her to find some peace from whatever—whomever—was haunting her.

–-

“He probably thinks I’m crazy.” She flopped onto the bed and sighed.

She’d enjoyed the last two days with John. It’d been nice to live in the moment again, to feel unfettered happiness.

But she shouldn’t be feeling that, not if he wasn't there, not if—

Her mobile vibrated. She picked it up, hoping it wasn’t from John. It was a video from Jackie. A strawberry blond boy smiled at the camera. Rose smiled back, even if he couldn’t see her, tears clouding her vision.

“Say hello to Rose, sweetie,” Jackie said.

“Hi, Rosie! I hope you’re having fun! I drew a picture for you.” Tony held it up. “It’s our house, and here’s Mummy and Daddy and me and you and Uncle Mickey and Aunt Martha.” The six of them stood outside the large mansion, all holding hands. “I love you!” He waved.

Rose sent back a heart and set her mobile on the bed next to her.

She loved her brother, the unexpected human that had come along six years earlier. He’d made it worth it to her, to be trapped over here.

And she was so happy for Mickey, that he’d found someone. Martha, one of the doctors at UNIT. Rose liked her. She was brilliant and so good for him. She couldn’t help but think the Doctor would’ve loved her. They’d spent a lot of their time at the Tyler mansion, so much so that Tony had taken to calling her ‘Aunt Martha.’ And Mickey was likely to make it a reality soon.

But Rose, she hadn’t even dreamed of moving on. How could she? The Doctor had given her the best years of her life, proved to her she was worth more than she ever thought, made her feel brilliant, and she never dared think less of herself again. She wouldn’t want to let him down.

But she would be, she knew. She was alive, yes, but she wasn’t living, not while she was waiting for him.

Maybe she’d been hoping all this time he’d find a way where she’d failed with the dimension cannon. Like Sarah Jane, she kept waiting for him.

Maybe this was why they’d met Sarah Jane in the first place, so she’d understand what life after the Doctor could be.

Maybe she just hadn’t faced it yet, that he was never coming to get her. Not because he hadn’t wanted to, she knew. He would have tried everything, exhausted every last resource. The walls were sealed; breaking through was simply impossible.

She dissolved into sobs and wept harder than she ever had. Then she fell asleep under the weight of the unmet hope she’d been carrying for years.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose spills the beans. Things will get better for her after this chapter.

She woke the next morning, still wearing the clothes she’d worn the day before. She looked at her mobile, and the clock said 11:26am. “God, I slept so long.”

John had send a text just after ten. _You alright?_

She smiled a little. That was kind of him to check on her. _Just woke up. I really needed the sleep._

_Are you hungry?_

_Bit yeah. Bridge, half hour?_

_See you then._

She decided on a green sundress with a denim jacket and her comfortable gray flats. After pulling her hair into a messy bun, she headed out.

\--

She saw him leaning on the side of the bridge, looking out towards the lake. He wore a gray blazer over a white t-shirt and more skinny jeans and trainers. He turned his head when he caught her out of the corner of his eye. He gently smiled and turned, still leaning on the wall.

Rose thought she'd cried it all out the night before, but apparently she wasn't finished. Her mask she’d carefully constructed shattered at the sight of him.

John was at her side immediately to offer a hug, but stepped back when she pushed him away. “What’s wrong?”

She turned away from him and curled in on herself. “I can’t, John. I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“He’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?”

She merely sniffled.

“If you need to talk about it, I’d be more than happy to listen. In addition to being wickedly brilliant, I’m also an excellent listener.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“You didn’t ask to be caught up in this.”

“No, I didn’t, Rose, but I don’t mind being here.”

She looked at him. “You really don’t?”

“No, I don’t. Really, I think it would help if you talk to someone. It doesn’t even have to be me, considering, well…”

“What?”

“You told me he looks like me. That’s all I know. I can understand how seeing me would drive whatever dagger is in your heart even further. If you’d rather not be around me anymore, I understand. I’ll go find someplace else, and I won’t contact you again.”

She swallowed and her gaze fell away.

“I’d do it if it would help you,” he added softly.

She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. ’m sorry things started out this way, but I didn’t realize how much I needed a friend.”

The corner of his lips turned up. “Me, too.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’ll tell you, but I can’t guarantee you won’t think I’m mental.”

“I’m sure I can handle it.”

“I could handle some chips right now. And I can’t tell you anything out here. We’ll have to head back to my room or something. Paps could be anywhere.”

He nodded and backed away. “Right. Right, yes, of course. Chips. Chips are lovely. Sit. I’ll be back with your lovely chips.”

Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry. How to even begin with the existence of parallel universes? That in another universe, he wasn't even human? That he travels in a ship encased in a tiny police public call box that’s both sentient and bigger on the inside? Had they even had those over here, the non-alien kind? And, by the way, it also travels through time?

He was back in a few minutes with two orders of chips. “You like vinegar, right? I thought I remembered that. I’ll eat it if not. The other order’s plain. I grabbed a few packets for myself just in case.”

Rose was hungry again at the smell of it and stood. “No, I love vinegar. Vinegar's great.”

“Sit. Whatever you have to say can wait until after you eat.”

“Thanks.” She ate in silence, her mind slightly quieted by the distraction of satiation.

“Are you really that nervous?”

“It’s a lot to tell.”

They quietly made it up to her room.

“You don’t mind me sharing the bed, do you?” he asked.

“No. It would be more comfortable than the chairs. We’ll be here for a while.” They settled with their backs against the headboard, Rose not too close to him. “John, I know this might sound odd.” She took a deep breath. “But I might as well just come out with it. Do you believe in parallel universes?”

His eyes went wide. If she was implying… the dominos began falling. All the mystery surrounding her. All the data he’d collected. “I, ehm—I don’t not believe in the existence of parallel universes. The theory hasn’t been proven, but it hasn't been disproven, either. I believe anything is possible.”

“Do you remember asking me about all the stuff surrounding me? And the Cybermen and global warming and all that?”

“Of course.”

“Well…”

“Are you actually saying…”

“There’s a reason I didn't exist until seven years ago.”

He grinned. “Go on.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all. I’ll explain in a moment. Please.”

“John, I’m not from here. From this universe, I mean.”

"From this universe, you mean?"

“Yeah. I'm from a parallel world. So you don’t... think this is weird at all?”

“Of course it’s weird, and brilliant! Continue.”

“You know how it is in the movies. Parallel worlds are like your own, but there’s little differences and such. Even parallel versions of people.”

Pears and bananas, he figured. “Yeah,” he said, his smile fading a little. “I suppose.” This would be difficult for her to share, he knew. And he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it himself, but her feelings mattered more to him in that moment.

“There’s not a parallel me in this universe. Pete and Jackie never had children.”

“And now they have two.”

“And, John… there’s… well, there’s a parallel you.”

“Is that who you lost?”

“Yeah.” She met his eyes.

“I can see why you would have been upset when you first met me.” He inhaled. “Were you and him…”

“Yeah, we were. We were together.”

“I bet you weren’t counting on seeing his face seven years on.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“And I just happened to sit next to you on a zeppelin on the way to Paris.”

“Yeah.”

It hit him then: he wasn’t sure if Rose was spending time with him because he reminded her of him. He understood if she was, even if it hurt a little. Seeing a loved one raised from the dead? Anyone might jump at that chance to be around them again.

In a way, he was jealous. He’d sort of come to fancy her in the short time he’d known her. She was beautiful, and not just on the outside. Her independent spirit, her laughter, the way she lit up when she smiled, her courage to be vulnerable... he, the parallel him, he’d had all of that to himself. Rose was still very much in love with him. John would never hold a place in her life like he did.

So he resolved to be supportive. She clearly needed a friend right now, and he could be her friend for the moment. “So… tell me about him. What’s parallel me like?”

“Brilliant and intense and wonderful. And, John, he’s… well, he’s not exactly human.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

“He’s an alien. He looks human, and he’s human in so many ways. But he’s not human.”

“So he’s, what, Martian?”

She giggled. “Sorry, Mum said that, too. No, he’s Time Lord.”

“Time Lord.”

“Yeah. I know this all sounds bonkers. You probably want to call a loony bin.”

“No. If I can believe in a parallel universe, stands to reason I could deal with parallel me being an alien. What’s a Time Lord?”

“Time Lords, they’re an ancient race from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. It’s not here in this universe, though. No Time Lords.”

“Does he have any weird alien powers or anything?” How does he measure up to this alien him?

“Might as well. They have two hearts.”

He perked up at that. Science was the best distraction. “Ah, binary vascular system. How does that work? I bet that has all sorts of benefits.”

“Right. They’re practically invincible because of it. They can regulate their own temperature so they can survive in extremes, at least for longer than you or I could. And they have a respiratory bypass so they can hold their breath for a longer time.”

“What else is special about him?”

“He has a ship that he travels in. It’s a police public call box on the outside but… ehm… it’s bigger on the inside.”

He furrowed his brows. “How does that work?”

“It’s called the TARDIS. Stands for ‘Time and Relative Dimension in Space.’”

“Oh, relative dimension. It’s a vessel and somehow holds its own dimension inside. A universe within a universe, as it were.”

She grinned. “Yeah, and she can travel through time.”

“A time machine? You're kidding me.”

“‘M not! We could go anywhere in time and space. And we had so much fun, so many adventures. Except we weren’t supposed to be able to travel between parallel universes.”

“But you’re here.”

“And that’s where it gets sticky.”

“Yes.”

“We were traveling, me and the Doctor and Mickey—”

“The Doctor? That’s what he’s called?”

“Not really. It was the name he chose. He never told me his real name.”

“And that’s why you called me Doctor on the zeppelin.”

“Yes.”

“And who’s Mickey?”

“My best mate. He was my boyfriend when I met the Doctor, but things got sort of complicated.”

“Yes, well, it’s hard to compete with a man who can whisk you away and give you the universe.” That came out a little more pointed than he intended. He winced.

“Oh… John, I'm so sorry.”

 _Bad form, John._ “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”

“I'm so stupid.”

“You are _not_ stupid, Rose Tyler.”

“You probably think—oh, god. I'm terrible. You probably think I'm only spending time with you because of him.”

“I wouldn't blame you if you were. He obviously meant a lot to you and still does.”

“I loved him, yeah, and I still do, but… maybe it was at first because I needed you to be different. It hurt so much seeing his face again, but you didn’t have his memories. Can you imagine that? Seeing the face of the person you love and they don’t know you? Looking into their eyes again after years of only remembering and finding them empty? Does that make sense?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry. This isn’t about me.”

“If you were just like him, I don’t think I’d be sitting with you right now. I wouldn’t be able to handle it. And you are like him, yeah, but you’re also not. ‘S’like my Dad. Pete from this world and Pete from the other world are not the same man.”

“You left your dad behind?”

“No. He died when I was a baby. The Doctor took me to see it because I asked, but that was a mistake. I tried to keep him alive, but he had to die anyway. That’s a story for another time.” She scooted closer and touched his arm. “And you and me, we have made our own memories. I promise you’re not his replacement.”

His eyes were immediately drawn to her hand, and then he met her eyes.

“And I like being around you. I wouldn't spend time with you if I didn't want to. Stubborn, me, remember?”

He cleared his throat and looked ahead, especially when he noticed she didn’t move away from him. “Yeah, I do. So you and Mickey and him, what happened?”

“Right. We were all traveling together. Mickey didn't always travel with us, but he did for a while. Something happened in the Vortex. That’s where the TARDIS sort of slips around time and space. And we were pulled through a crack in the universe, but that crack wasn’t supposed to be there. The Doctor said all the walls were closed. Used to be open because of the Time Lords, but they’re gone. I suppose the crack… well, anyway, when we came through, that’s when the incident with Cybus happened. The Doctor and Mickey and Pete and me and a few others, we stopped Lumic and the Cybermen. Mickey stayed here and the Doctor and I were able to go back. John, that’s what he does. The Doctor saves the universe. We didn't just lark about. We got into the best trouble, me and him.” She smiled.

“How are you here now? I can’t imagine this was your first choice.”

“The crack should have closed after we came back, but it didn't. The Cybermen followed us and a few months later they showed up in my world. Took three years over here.”

“I was working at NASA at the time. We’d measured the climate changing.”

“That was the void stuff leaking through.”

“Void?”

“The space between worlds. What made the crack in the first place was another race, the Daleks—basically genocidal squids in militarized pepper pots—the Time Lords had stuffed them in this prison vessel and sent them into the void. They had managed to crack the walls of the universe to get back to the right one. Our Torchwood found them, and then the Cybermen came through. There was this war between them. It was awful. So many people died. But the Doctor, his plan was to send them all into the Void, and then the breech would seal itself forever. The problem was that anything else with void particles, anything that had been through it, would get sucked in as well.”

“You, you’d been through.”

“Exactly. So he’d decided to send me and Jackie over here so we’d be safe. Even got the Pete from over here to convince her to go.”

“He would never see you again.”

“And I wasn’t going to let that happen. You know me.”

He smiled. “So what did you do about it?”

“The Torchwood over here had developed dimension jumpers. Part of the problem with the walls was that they kept hopping back and forth between dimensions to follow the Cybermen and investigate. Each time they used it, it made the walls even weaker. When he sent me over here, I hopped back over. I ended up falling towards the void anyway, but I guess Mum was pretty upset and sent Pete back to get me before it closed, and he caught me just in time, and we jumped back over, and the walls sealed themselves as planned.”

“So you never even got to say goodbye?”

“Not properly. A few months later I heard his voice and I could feel the TARDIS again.”

“You felt the ship?”

“She’s sentient.”

“A sentient, time-traveling machine.”

“Yes.”

“That’s—wow. What a life.”

“It was, really. My mad life with my mad, alien boyfriend.”

“You felt the ship.”

“Yeah. There was one tiny crack left. It wasn’t wide enough for the Doctor to slip through and pick me up, but he could send a projection of himself. Burned up a sun to do it, too. We had two minutes on a beach in Norway.”

“I can’t imagine that must have been easy.”

“I was gonna stay with him forever,” she said softly.

“I'm sorry.”

She looked up at him. “What made you leave NASA? You’re obviously not there now.”

“My research on climate change, the odd anomaly over London, it was all confiscated by an organization called Torchwood. The American government was in full cooperation with the United Kingdom, and Torchwood was basically given a free pass. Couldn't even back anything up to look at it on my own, so I left. I’d published enough other things to be accepted by Oxford.”

“You knew about the crack?”

“Not specifically. I wasn’t able to research it more, and I couldn't do a thing about it anyway in the end, I suppose. Then Torchwood was taken over by your dad. By that point, I might have contacted him to see about getting my research back, but I had no interest in working with any government organization.”

“They took your research?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder if Pete knows about it.”

“It’s not important anymore. Do you have a picture of him? Seems surreal, thinking there’s someone who looks like me running around in another universe.”

“I do, and that’s not even the end of the madness, John.” She scrolled through her photos.

“There’s more?”

“I don't think you’re ready for this.”

“After hearing all of that, I'm sure I could handle anything.”

She found the one of her with her second Doctor. They were grinning, cheeks pressed together as she hugged his neck.

He stared. “Blimey.”

“I know.”

“That’s my face.”

“Yep.”

“I'm almost sorry I had to sit by you on that zeppelin. No wonder you looked like you’d seen a ghost.”

“Almost?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be sitting here otherwise, would I? I didn’t know what would happen when I left London this time around, but this is better than anything I could have planned.”

She smiled.

Even if she was telling him about another man, it was all worth it for that. “What’s the wildest bit, then?”

 She scrolled back to another photo with her first Doctor. “That’s him, too.” She smiled at the memory, her begging to take a photo with him. “I don’t do domestics, and I definitely don’t do photos,” he’d said. But he’d done it anyway, for her, especially after she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“That’s _not_ the same man,” John said.

“No, he is.”

“What doctor did he go to?”

She giggled. “He’s his own doctor. Time Lords, they have a trick, sort of a way of cheating death, he said once. When they die, they regenerate. Their body undergoes a whole change, I think so they can heal themselves, and they get a whole new face and body and personality, but deep down, they’re still the same person.”

“He was first, right?”

“This one, yeah.”

“How did you meet him?”

“I was a shop girl, and as I was leaving after closing that night, I’d forgotten to take the lottery money down to the basement for the caretaker. When I got down there, I was attacked by store mannequins.”

“Were they alive?”

“Not really. There was this consciousness that could control plastic, and he was trying to stop it. Turns out, he was in the basement of the store because the consciousness was using the building to project its signal. Just as they were about to get me, he grabbed my hand and told me to run. We’d been running ever since.”

“What was he like if his personality was different?”

“All gruff at first. The Time Lords had this war with the Daleks—”

“The genocidal squids?”

“Yeah, I’ll draw you a picture sometime. Anyway, the Doctor stopped it all by destroying his planet. It was a horrible decision for him, but it had to be done to save the universe. So he was angry at first, but he was a big softy on the inside. He’d protest if he heard me telling you that, though.”

“If he changed… you said he died, right?”

“Yeah. Are you sure this isn't all too mad for you?”

“Rose, I am an astrophysicist. All of what you’re telling me about the Cybermen and the crack in the universe, I’d been researching it. I’m getting all the answers I’d never been able to get myself, and I promised to listen. How did he die?”

“The whole time I traveled with him, the first Doctor, two words followed us around, Bad Wolf. And they finally caught up to us at the end. We ran into the Daleks on a satellite, and the Doctor sent me away—”

“He has a habit of doing that, doesn't he?”

“Yes. Thank you. You’d’ve thought he’d learned the first time.”

He laughed.

“The Doctor had sent me away. He’d activated an emergency program in the TARDIS because he thought he might die, and she took me back to London. I wasn’t happy about it, so I opened up the ship and looked into the heart of it. Her essence sort of entered me and we flew the ship back to where he was—”

“You absorbed the heart of a sentient time machine.”

“Yep. Had all of time flowing through me for a few moments.”

“That is mad.”

“I told you.”

“How did that feel?”

“I could see all of time and space. I don’t even remember it all, but it was incredible. And it nearly killed me. After I destroyed the Daleks and saved his sorry arse, he took the Time Vortex out of me and put it back in the TARDIS, and that killed him. I didn't even know that was going to happen. He’d never told me.”

“Seems like an important detail to include.”

“I know! And it was hard to deal with in the moment, seeing the face of a man I’d loved changed. But I found out he was still the same Doctor underneath the pretty face. We were off and running again before I knew it.”

“Aliens.” He shook his head. “You know, I’d always believed we couldn’t be alone in the universe.”

“Surprise!”

"Indeed!" He laughed. “Do you work for UNIT?”

“What else was I going to do with my life after traveling with him?”

“Makes sense.”

“It’s nothing like the old Torchwood, though. Pete made sure of that. I could put in a good word for you, if you’re interested.”

He scrunched up his nose. “I still have a bad taste in my mouth.”

“You could always come round if you wanted a tour.”

“Only if you’re giving it.”

“I’m surprised you haven't run away.”

“No, I wouldn’t. I think you’re extraordinary. Here I’ve been studying the stars through a lens, but you, you’ve walked among them.”

She blushed at the warmth in his voice. She gazed into his eyes for a moment and looked away. “I don’t think I’ve done such a good job since then.”

“Oh, pish. I can’t imagine what all this must be like for you, being stuck on Earth when you’d been able to go anywhere you want. You can’t see the stars up close anymore. I suppose you could look through a telescope, but it’s not nearly the same thing. You probably feel trapped.”

“I do sometimes, yeah.”

“What helps you not feel trapped?”

“Being able to travel, but mostly…” She picked up her mobile and pulled up the video from Tony. “Him. Tony, my little brother.”

“Beautiful kid.”

“After the beach, life just kinda went into black and white for a while, but it got better when he came along. Mum deserves him after 19 years of putting up with me by herself.”

“And what do you deserve?”

“I don't know.”

“I think you deserve better than that.”

“I don't think I do.”

“Rose—”

“I promised I'd stay with him.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But what if he’s all alone out there, John?” Her voice grew thick with emotion.

“Are you the only person he’s ever traveled with?”

“No.” She swallowed and shook her head. “No, I’m not, but he told me he was going to travel alone. I didn’t want that for him.”

“I think he would find someone. Maybe not because he wants somebody else to travel with, but because you wanted him to.”

She swallowed. “I just wish I could know how he was.”

“And it hurts that you can’t.”

Tears welled up. “Yeah.”

“I'm sorry.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Listening.”

“Anytime. And I mean it.”

“Can we just... I dunno, I don't feel like doing anything else today.”

“Absolutely, whatever you want. Movie? We could watch _Montana Jones._ ”

“Montana Jones?”

“The action adventure series of films about the explorer? 1980s? Henrietta Ford? Stephanie Spielberg? Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it.”

“Oh. It’s _Indiana Jones_ in my universe. You mean to tell me Indiana Jones is a woman over here?”

He grinned. “Montana Jones is a man over there?”

 “Sorry. I forget sometimes that everyone over here, this is home.”

He squeezed her hand. “It’s no problem. Anyway, Henrietta Ford is a gorgeous woman for her age now. Those movies were the best when I was a lad, probably one of the reasons I’m so adventurous. I wanted to go with her one day.”

“In my universe it’s Harrison Ford. He’s also very good looking for his age. Was when I left anyway.”

“I loved her Han Solo in _Star Wars_. She and Princess Leia, classic film couple, y’know.” At that, he put his arm around her as she cuddled into his side and pulled up Netfilms on the telly.

Rose pointed out all sorts of differences from the one she knew. Then he had an idea: What was it like in her parallel universe? Was the food different? Cars? Did they have zeppelins? He made a mental list of questions. It would help pass the time as they continued to travel together. That is, if she was alright with them doing so. He didn’t want to intrude on her old flame, strange feeling that it was, her loving a man who looks like him, but he desperately wanted the chance to continue getting to know her. As the movie ended, he asked, “Do you want me to go?”

“No. I’m hungry again. Want to order? There’s Indian just around the corner. We can watch something else, comedy maybe.”

He pulled up a food delivery app on his mobile. They both decided on the chicken curry. “They have wine, too,” he said. “Fancy a glass?”

“What would pair with curry?”

“A good rosé.”

She smiled. “Are you a connoisseur?”

“As it so happens, yeah, but I’d be a dishonest man if I didn’t admit the menu itself suggested it.”

“Of course you’re a connoisseur.” (There was another one of those subtle differences. The Doctor never would have admitted that. Rather, she would have pointed it out and they would have had a good laugh about it.)

He cleared his throat. “Yes or no, Rose Tyler?”

“I could go for some wine.”

He set the phone in his lap when he finished and looked at her.

She was staring at him, biting her lip.

Was it him or had she gotten closer? He blushed. “What?”

“Do you think we could go on a vineyard tour?”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” She giggled.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Of course. We can go anywhere you want. Ehm. I presume you don’t want to go back to France?”

She shrugged. “Not particularly.”

“I happen to know there are twenty wine regions in Italy.”

“Twenty?”

“Twenty, Rose.”

“Could take a while.”

“I’m on Sabbatical. I have all the time in the world. And then, of course, there’s other things you need to see. You can’t go to Italy and not stop in Rome or Venice or Verona.”

“No, of course not.” Her gaze darted to his mouth.

He swallowed and wet his lips, his voice becoming softer of its own accord. “Florence, Milan, Naples, Bologna, Parma…”

She hummed.

He would have closed the distance, but just as he’d willed his body to move, his mobile pinged and broke the spell. He groaned and scratched the back of his neck as he checked the screen. “Blimey, delivery is fast. I’ll be back.”

Everything she’d said raced back to his mind as he made his way to the lobby. Interesting and hopeful turn of events, to be sure, but as much as he regretted it, perhaps it was good they’d been interrupted.

\--

John left after their dinner and a second movie without event. The film had been a welcome distraction, as neither of them had said much.

Rose groaned and curled in on herself. _“Why_ did I do that?” She picked up her mobile. “Mum, you would not believe what’s happened.”

“I’m sure I can, things I’ve seen, but go ahead.”

“I tried to kiss him, Mum.”

“You—come again?”

“I told him about everything, and he just accepted it. Didn’t question it at all. And then we watched a movie, and we were cuddling, and… I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You told him?”

“Yes. And he said Torchwood seized his research while he was at NASA, just before Dad took over. He knew about the weak spot above Canary Wharf and the global warming, and Torchwood took his research. Do you think he could do something about that?”

“Oh, hold on. Pete! …  Pete, that research you found, Torchwood seized it. He wasn’t meaning to help. … Right, that’s what Rose says. Rose, Pete looks a right mess. I don’t think even he knew that.”

“Dad found his research?”

“Yeah. He reasoned if John’s a genius, there’s no way he hasn’t done something for Torchwood. He just didn’t know they’d taken it. Pete says we’ll figure something out when you come home. When will that be?”

“Not sure. We’re going to Italy next. It’ll be a while, I think.”

“Just like old times, innit?”

Rose could hear the grin in her mother’s voice and braced herself for an _I told you so._ “Well, sort of. He’s like the Doctor, but he’s not. He’s got his own personality.”

“So you’re not just following him around because he reminds you of himself?”

“No, I’m not. And I’m not trying to replace him, either.” She didn’t mean to sound like she was trying to convince herself on that last one.

“You like him?”

“Maybe. Is that… wrong of me?”

“No. No, sweetheart, not at all. You tried to kiss him?”

“We were interrupted by takeaway delivery.”

“Did he want to kiss you back?”

“Not sure. Nothing else happened.”

“Sweetheart, if you like him, you should talk to him.”

“I can’t, Mum.”

“I think he likes you, too, from the sound of it. He was the one who wanted to travel with you, and he’s stuck with you this far. If he wanted to move on to a new place, he could have. Maybe he’s just not sure how to handle you.”

“But—”

“What I mean is, if you told him about the Doctor and your feelings, maybe he wants to be careful.”

“I suppose.”

“You said nothing else happened. Did he leave?”

“No. We ate dinner and watched another movie.”

“See?”

“Maybe he does, but…”

“But what?”

“I don’t—I wasn’t planning on having feelings for anyone again. I don’t know what I’m doing. He’s not the Doctor. He’s not an alien with a spaceship. He’s a regular bloke, and I’ve never been good with—”

“Nobody can plan for anything in life, sweetheart. That’s just life. I wasn’t planning for my husband to die early. I wasn’t planning for my daughter to go swanning off with a nine-hundred-year-old alien in a blue box. I definitely wasn’t planning on finding Pete again, but that’s life. It just happens. If you think you might have feelings for John, it’s okay. You’re not replacing the Doctor, but he would want you to be happy. Just let things happen, love.”

Her voice wavered. “How can I be happy when I don’t know if he’s happy?”

“Oh, sweetheart.”

“Who’s holding his hand out there?” Tears fell.

“I think he’s happy knowing you’re alive and safe.”

“I left him. I promised I would never leave him.”

“It wasn’t your fault, and he wanted to send you away in the first place, remember? He wanted you safe. He knows you didn’t mean to.”

She sniffled. “I miss him, Mum.”

“I know, love, and I wish I could make it better for you.” After a moment of silence, Jackie added, “Do you need me to let you go?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Your feelings are completely normal. Get some sleep and talk to John in the morning. Tony misses you, by the way. Make sure you call soon just to talk to him.”

“Oh, god. Yeah, I will. Sorry.”

“You’re preoccupied. Good night, love.”

Rose curled onto her side and cried herself to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose has (mostly) made it through the woods on dealing with her loss of the Doctor; she decides to focus on John.

Rose woke the next morning when her mobile vibrated next to her.

 _Let me know when you’re ready to leave. We can take a later train to Lugano, and from there we'll travel to Bolzano in the Alps. Then we’ll have to go by bus. Start north, head back south. Also, I saved you some breakfast. I didn’t know what you prefer, so I hope this is alright._ He sent a photo of a plate of fruit, a muffin, and a bagel with a packet of hazelnut spread. _I can fix you some tea from your kettle._

She smiled. John really was incredibly sweet. Maybe things with him weren’t as bad as she'd perceived. _That's good, thanks. Would prefer coffee, actually._

_You’re awake?_

_You woke me up. I didn’t pack last night, so I need some time before I’m ready to leave._

_Here’s what I propose, then. I bring you this plate, and I’ll head back to check out over here. I’ll meet you in your lobby when you’re ready. That enough time?_

_Should be._

_See you in ten-ish._

Rose sat up in her bed and realized she hadn’t changed from the day before. Her reflection stared back at her in the mirror, wide-eyed at her raccoon face. Oh, she was a mess, and this wouldn’t do, not if she had ten minutes. She scrambled to remove her makeup and didn’t bother to re-apply. She dug through her bag to find something suitable, just a white t-shirt and jeans and redid her hair bun to make it look like she’d made some effort.

–

John rapped on her door. No reply, so he tried a second time.

The door opened to a grinning Rose. “Hi!” she said, just a bit more chipper than he’d have pictured her in the morning. (Not that he’d imagined seeing her in the morning. Nope, not at all.)

“Ehm, good morning, Rose.” He noticed she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Not that he minded; she was gorgeous anyway. “Can I come in?”

Panic flashed over her face for just a second, but she managed to compose herself. “Sure.” She hurried to toss everything into her bag and then to the loo to freshen up her face.

“You aren’t hurrying on my account, are you? We have plenty of time.” He walked to the electric kettle near the sink.

“What gives you that idea?”

“Because your shirt’s inside out. Are you alright?”

Her cheeks flushed. “I’m fine.”

He studied her as he filled the kettle with water and turned it on. “You look fine without makeup. Beautiful, in fact. Are you worried about that?”

She stared at him. “No.”

“You’re fine with the plans? I suppose I shouldn’t have presumed—”

“Yes, it’s perfect. I don’t know my way around, so you playing tour guide is fine.”

“Are you upset about yesterday?”

“I wanted to apologize, actually.”

He met her eyes in the mirror. “For what?”

She shrugged. “Y’know… when I…”

“Why on earth would you need to apologize for that?”

“Did you not want me to kiss you?”

His eyebrows nearly met the ceiling. “You think I didn’t want to kiss you?”

“You seemed relieved when takeout showed up.”

He turned and leaned on the counter. “I wanted to, but I also have to be careful.”

“Why?”

“You’re still hurt. I know you always will be in some way. I’m not under any false pretenses about grief. And, well.” He carded a hand through his hair. “If I’m honest, I’m worried I won’t be who you wanted or expected.”

“You’re not him. I know that.”

“I want you to know for sure if this goes anywhere, if you want it to. I like you, Rose, quite a lot, and I don’t want to hurt you or impose myself where I'm not wanted. And I don’t want to replace him.”

She stared again.

“Can I take you on a proper date?”

“You... what?”

He smiled. “A date. Not tonight. Just sometime. I have a few ideas. That alright?”

“Yeah,” she said softly.

He nodded to the boiling kettle. “The water’s ready for your coffee. I’ll check out of my hotel, and then I’ll take the scenic route so you have plenty of time to pack and turn your shirt the right way.” He winked and walked out the door. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and giggled to himself at seeing Rose rendered speechless. “Still got it.”

–

The Doctor had hardly been so forward with her, not until just before the end of their time together. Not until after their visit to London for the Coronation. Before then, he’d always run from his feelings when he let them show, even the tiniest bit (at least he thought he wasn't so obvious; he wore his hearts on his sleeve, after all). He’d told her why on that night they’d been investigating the school: he’d been afraid of losing her someday, having to live on without her. Perhaps it was the very same fear that brought on his change of heart after she’d lost her essence to the Wire. Otherwise, they’d spent most of their time dancing around each other. And when they’d finally _danced_ together, it’d been beautiful to watch him open up. Their prolonged tension had made their release all the sweeter.

John, however, was taking a huge risk not long after he’d met her. John only had one life in which he’d grow old and die someday. John didn't have a universe for which he was responsible, so he didn’t carry the weight of it on his shoulders. John wasn’t living with constant guilt from destroying his home as a last resort in a terrible war, and therefore had no reservations about his own personal happiness.

The Doctor had his own way of loving her. Perhaps John would have his own way of showing his feelings, too. Would it hurt to let him, or even explore whether or not she could have feelings for him? If she had always been in this universe, not had her history with the Doctor, and she’d met John, would she have been interested in him of his own merit?

She knew the answer and tried swallowing her guilt for even considering it, so she turned to the one person in all the world who’d truly understand. _Mum, you were right._

_I usually am. Honestly you look at me like I’ve grown an extra eye in my forehead sometimes but I’m glad you’ve finally seen the light._

She rolled her eyes. _He wants to take me on a date, said he wanted to be careful about my feelings._

_That’s great sweetheart! Did you say yes?_

_Yes._

_When? Where are you going?_

_Not sure. He says it’s a surprise._

_Are you alright with it?_

_Sort of. Not because of him. Is it normal to feel some guilt?_

_Absolutely, but try to have fun. Let me know when you arrive safely wherever you’re going next. Don’t forget to call for Tony. I may not hear from you for a while knowing you but he needs to._

_Love you, tell Tony and Dad hi._

\--

Necessity dictated they stay in the same hotel in the smaller towns, but Rose found she didn’t mind, especially when he asked the first time. At one stop, however, the bed and breakfast had only one room available. John insisted on taking the floor.

“You’re gonna hurt in the morning,” she said.

“I’ll be fine.”

“John, don’t be stupid. Get up here.”

“It’s fine, Rose. Really. I’m fine.”

“We’re supposed to go skiing tomorrow. You won’t make it down the hill if your back hurts.”

He paused at that, and she thought she might have won out, but he said, “I’ll take some naproxen sodium.”

She scooted to the side of the bed near him. He was on his side, turned away. “That’s nice of you to give me some space, and I appreciate it, but I promise I don’t mind.”

“Turn out the light.”

“You’re not more stubborn than me, so you might as well stop trying.”

He waved his hand in the air. “See you in the morning.”

She snorted. “You’re such a child.” Scooting over to her side of the bed, she pulled the chain on the lamp.

Five audible huffs and shuffling linens and a half hour later, she smiled as she felt the mattress dip behind her. “Told you so.” When she looked, he was lying on the very edge of the bed, facing the other wall.

 _“Shut up,”_ he said, imitating her voice.

She hit him with a pillow.

“Oi! I thought you didn’t want my back to hurt.”

“I thought you’d take some pain reliever.” She tried to hit him again, but he’d caught it and was leaning over her.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

The room was dark, but she could make out the challenge in his eyes. Only one response came to mind. She bit her lip and giggled.

“What?”

Should she say it? She giggled some more.

“What’s funny?”

“I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not I can finish.”

His eyes went wide. “Did you just—” He growled and sulked away.

“I win.”

“For your information, I give a spectacular finish. Dazzling.”

“Dazzling?” She could hardly contain herself at that. “Do you glitter or something, Edward Cullen?”

“Who?” He lay on his back.

“Do they not have _Twilight_ over here?”

“What’s Twilight?”

“It was a young adult vampire romance novel. I read it before I met the Doctor, and then I left with him, and I never got to read the next one. Anyway, this teenage girl falls in love with a moody vampire. His skin sparkled in the sun or something like that.”

“Oh. No, we don’t have that over here, and my penis, impressive as it is, definitely doesn’t sparkle in the sun. I’m sure I can find you one that does, though. We are in Italy. There’s bound to be a shop at one of these stops.”

She laughed.

He sniffed and turned over again. “Good night, Rose.”

“Good night, John,” she said, but she wasn’t quite through. “Regardless of whether you can finish or not, make sure I do first.”

“Of course. What kind of monster do you think I am?”

“Not a brooding vampire, that’s for sure.”

He snorted. “Good night.”

She lightly kicked his bum. “Good night.”

\--

Rose felt John pressing against her back. He shifted, and then was gone. Opening her eyes was a struggle, but she managed to look over her shoulder.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Sorry for waking you. I backed up in my sleep.” He yawned and stretched.

She croaked in acknowledgment.

“I’m hitting the loo and then the lobby. I’ve some work to do. I’ll save you some breakfast, so go back to sleep.” He grabbed his backpack, stuffed some clothes in it, threw a towel over his shoulder, and headed for the door.

\--

When she woke again, she saw a plate loaded with a few pastries and fruit and an insulated thermos of coffee.

He’d written a note: _Fuel up! The slopes show no mercy. Thermal spa tomorrow?_

She picked up her mobile. _Thermal spa sounds great. Thanks for breakfast._

_I’d hate for you to collapse on the mountainside from expending so much energy as you fail to beat me down the hill._

_Game on._

He did, in fact, win. “Told you I could finish.”

She rolled her eyes and muttered, “You missed the part about letting me finish first.”

“You good for another go? No race this time.”

She grinned. _No race this time my arse_. “Let’s go.” And she won.

They were so exhausted that after their dinner and showers, they cuddled on the bed for a movie, but fell asleep as soon as it started.

\--

Rose had forgotten how nice it was to wake up next to someone.

Mickey had stayed with her a few times after the dimension cannon had failed, but Mickey was her mate. He’d only wanted to make sure she was alright.

John was different. John was a friend, yeah, but he was… adorable as he slept, wasn’t he? For once, she’d awoken before him. They’d separated but were still close.

Nature called, so she left to hit the loo. He’d rolled over by the time she returned. She smiled and spooned up behind him, and he hummed and snuggled her arm when she slung it over his waist. He smelled good, and it lulled her back to sleep.

\--

They arrived at the thermal spa for a day of rest and relaxation. First on the agenda was a good soak in the hot indoor pool.

She hadn’t thought about it as she packed her bag for the day, but as she changed into her bikini, she realized, _Oh, god, he’s gonna see me half-naked._ Even worse, _I’m gonna see him half-naked._

Was this really the wisest choice for her? Being that he was a parallel version of the Doctor, his body would be much the same (did John also have a mole between his shoulder blades, or that curious appendix scar?) and she was _very_ attracted to the Doctor. John was already attractive enough, but her stomach clenched at the thought of his chest hair, lithe limbs, that light trail of hair lower on his belly…

 _No._ Must not think about the trail.

Too late. The happy trail had been etched into her mind for eternity, and the prospect of being confronted with it again was…

She scrambled to make it out to the pool before him, but to her dismay, he was waiting in the water when she peered through a crack in the door. Luckily, other people were also in the pool, and he was facing away from her. She stuffed her bag in a locker, made her way to the water, and tried to quietly slip underneath the surface. He jumped, and she said, “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I was lost in the warmth.”

“It is definitely nice.” She closed her eyes and sighed, rolling her neck around.

“Here, turn.”

“What?”

“Turn away.” He lightly touched her shoulders, his thumbs circling over her flesh. “Is this alright?”

She took her time in answering. “Feel free to do this anytime you want.” This wasn't so bad, was it? And _god_ he was good with his hands.

Sod any caution.

He froze, and Rose could hear him smirking. “So you’re saying you like this?”

“I can’t like it if you stop.”

He chuckled and continued. “You look nice, by the way.”

“Oh." Well, that said everything, didn't it? "Thank you.” Dare she? She turned her head and took a good look at his shirtless torso, careful not to let her eyes drift below the water line. Not too far, anyway, and not for too long. “You look nice, too.” She caught his eyes for a moment with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

He was still for a few seconds.

“You’ll find your fingers at the end of your limbs,” she noted.

“Right. Sorry.” He continued in silence. He gently moved towards her spine, to the back of her neck and the base of her skull.

She couldn’t talk until he moved to her shoulders again. “Seriously, why are we paying for a massage today when you could just do it yourself?” She looked over her shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow. “I can’t very well massage myself, can I?”

“No. Might be entertaining, though.”

“I could teach you. That would be far more entertaining to me.”

“Yeah? Are you licensed or something?”

“As it happens, yes.”

“Oh. Might be fun.” More than fun, really, if she pictured her hands moving over his bare back. Was it alright for her to imagine that? Was it alright that the prospect secretly thrilled her?

“Better?” He tapped her shoulders as he finished.

“Yeah.”

“Your skin is quite flushed.”

She definitely caught the darting of his eyes to her chest.

“Is the water too warm for you?”

“No.”

“If you say so.”

Rose might have been fooling herself, but had she detected a hint of pride in his voice?

\--

A week later, they reached their final stop in northern Italy. They were just south of the Alps, near Milan, at a small town with a good vineyard. To their surprise (and secret delight), hardly anyone was visiting, but they still opted to share a room. They’d grown accustomed to the company, they supposed.

This particular vineyard housed a restaurant and a patio in the rear of the property overlooking the grape fields, at which they’d host tastings so guests could sample the wine paired with various dishes. John was grateful for the lower altitude when Rose decided to wear a burgundy sleeveless cocktail dress with no jacket to dinner that night. She looked absolutely divine in the sunset.

And she was quiet. She was like this every now and then. That was normal for anybody, even him, but he worried for her. They hadn’t really talked about anything of substance since that day in her hotel in Lucerne. Rather, they’d just been on the go. Plenty of flirting and easy banter, lots of traveling stories exchanged. Dancing around more serious conversation. He doubted it, but he hoped she wasn’t accommodating him. Perhaps she just needed the normalcy, and he was happy to provide it.

Even still, time to check in.

Lucky for him, the restaurant was playing some easy jazz over the speakers. He stood and held out his hand. “Dance with me?”

She tentatively placed her hand in his.

Then he pulled her to the open space in the middle of the tables and took her for a few quick spins, which made her laugh. When she relaxed against him, he asked, “How are you?”

“What d’you mean?”

“Are you alright? You seem better than when I first met you, but I know how easy it is to make things look a certain way on the outside.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you fishing for a compliment?”

“Well,” he drawled, “I’d never be opposed to one.” He smiled when she giggled. “But I really do want to make sure you’re alright.”

She shrugged. “I’m better than I was, I think. I’m sure I have more to deal with, and maybe I’ll go see a therapist when I’m back in London. They’ll have to be UNIT approved, of course.”

“That’s good you recognize that.”

“Maybe I needed a jolt. I feel like I was… I dunno, suspended or something, if that makes sense. I think I’ve been depressed and haven’t wanted to notice or admit it.”

“Locked in a permanent state of grief.”

"I wonder how hard that's been on my family."

"Not that you need to appease them."

“Right. And I’ll always miss him.”

“I wouldn’t expect any different.”

“And I didn’t realize how lonely I was. You can’t really have friends outside of UNIT. You can’t really talk about your job honestly, and who wants a friendship based on a lie?"

"Nobody wants that."

"It’s been nice to have a friend again. Besides Mickey and the team, I mean.”

“You’re also famous back home. You have to be choosy about your acquaintances anyway.”

“Yes.” She glanced around. “I’m sure the paps are getting some juicy shots right now.”

“Oh, is that why there’s a man hiding in the bushes with a camera? I thought he was doing a bit of nature photography.” He loved being able to making her laugh, a far cry from where they'd started. “So, is this alright? Whatever this is?”

“Yeah, I’m enjoying myself. You're a lot of fun, and I've needed that."

"You were hesitant a bit ago."

"I question if I'm doing the right thing sometimes, but Mum tells me that's normal. But then I've been forcing myself to be unhappy for so long, so it's habit, I suppose.”

“A vicious cycle. Maybe your therapist can help with that.”

“Yeah, I hope." They shared a small smile. "So when will you be taking me on this date? You haven't yet.”

“I didn’t want to unless you felt you were ready.”

“I think..." She inhaled. "I'm ready to try.”

"Are you sure? You don't need to pressure yourself to do more than what you can."

"No, I've really enjoyed our time together.”

“Good. I’ll be enacting..." He looked up as if weighing his options, but it was clearly just for show. "Plan C, then.”

“Plan C? As if there's an A or B or more?”

"Yes. Spontaneity has its merits—” at that moment, he dipped her, smirking as she yelped and held onto him tighter— “but when it comes to the really important stuff, always have multiple plans."

She laughed. When he tipped her upright, she asked, "What's Plan C, then?"

“It’ll be a surprise.”

“When will the surprise be?”

“That’ll be a surprise, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, be that way. Must be something impressive, then.”

“Wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t.”

She wound her arms around his neck, and his hands happily found a place on her hips. “You don’t have to be impressive. I like how it's been.”

“I don’t _have_ to be. I think you deserve it, though.”

“You’re far too sweet.”

“Forgive me for wanting to show a lady a good time.”

“I suppose that can be arranged." She bit her lip. "Depends on how good a time it is.”

“It will be spectacular.”

“Confident in the goods before they’re delivered?”

He put on his best sultry voice. “Oh, I’m _very_ confident in the goods.”

She pushed on his chest, laughing. “John!”

“Can you blame me, though?”

“For what?”

“I like you.” His voice was considerably softer. Normally confident to the point of hubris, he hadn’t expected the flip in his stomach at such a simple admission. He’d said it before, but this time was different.

“Yeah?”

He swallowed. “Quite a bit, actually. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but you’re… well, what could I even say? Brilliant, funny, extraordinary.”

“Not to mention a great set of legs.”

“Certainly doesn’t hurt your case.”

She took a deep breath. “I like you, too.”

“Oh, good.” He nodded.

She grinned. “Shut up.”

“I was going to say no, but I’m speechless when you smile like that.”

Her cheeks flushed.

He winced. “Too much?”

“No.” She studied his face. “I think I would have liked you if I’d always been here. I don’t know how we would’ve met, but I’m really glad we did.”

“I am, too. I’m not grateful you’ve had to go through what you’ve been through, but I’m happy to have at least had a chance with you.”

“John?”

“Rose?”

Next thing he knew, her lips were on his. His arms instinctively tightened around her, and everything felt _right._ He desperately hoped he was enough for her, because now that he’d had a chance to hold her like this, he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to let her go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The Date_ happens. So does some smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, I was gonna release this yesterday on 11/11 and say DID SOMEONE WISH FOR SMUT BECAUSE I AM HERE TO DELIVER. But dammit, Rose decided she needed to be _even more extra_ in some parts.
> 
> This won't be the last chapter, but I'll be taking a break on this for a bit to focus on fulfilling my DW Secret Santa prompt. I thought I'd end this part on a high note. <3 <3 I really appreciate how people have embraced this story. Your comments have meant the world to me. 
> 
> For a visual, here's [Rose's dress.](https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/proenza-schouler-cap-sleeve-open-back-fishtail-gown-black-prod195300055?icid=&searchType=EndecaDrivenCat&rte=%252Fcategory.service%253FitemId%253Dcat35350732%2526pageSize%253D30%2526No%253D90%2526Ns%253DPCS_SORT%2526refinements%253D4294846923&eItemId=prod195300055&cmCat=product)

They took a cab to Milan in the morning since the city was so close.

Just as they pulled up to the hotel, which was rather swanky judging by the façade, John’s mobile rang. “One of my colleagues. Let me take this.”

She smiled as he briefly caught up with whomever had called.

Then his face turned five shades of horror. “You’re kidding me. … But I checked the formulas! Two, even three times over specifically because I was leaving.” He tugged at his hair. “Oh, of course Rattigan fucked them up. He _would_ turn this project into a pet of his. I’m going to strap him to a rocket before the end of this and he can end up god knows where in space. Didn’t I tell you not to leave him unsupervised? … I don’t care how brilliant he is! He’s a stuck up, entitled, rich brat who thinks he knows better than anyone else and can do whatever the fuck he wants because his parents never told him no. You know what? I’ll Skype you later so we can sort this out. … Yeah, yeah, two days. I can do that. Bye.” He stuffed his phone in his jacket pocket. “Bloody hell.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My colleague and I and a few graduate students are working on a project, top secret so I can’t divulge details, sorry.”

“That’s alright.”

“And one of them, I’m ruing the day we ever accepted him into the program, has hijacked it while I’ve been away. He’s blown it all the way to hell and back, and we’ve basically got to start over.”

“Which means?”

“I’ll have to make myself scarce for—”

“Two days, yeah?”

“Yeah. Which means Plan C is off, and I’m regretting it terribly. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to book us separate rooms until this gets fixed. I’ll be working late into the night and I don’t want to keep you awake.”

She was having a hard time fighting the sinking of her heart. “I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

“Well, more like I don’t need you to distract me. Because you’re terribly distracting.” He waggled his eyebrows and pulled a few bills out of his wallet to pay the cabbie. In the lobby, he directed her to sit while he spoke to the concierge, and then returned with her room key. “Rose, I am so sorry this came up.”

“And here I was getting used to having you around all the time.”

He gave a breathy laugh and carded a hand through his hair. “I know. Let me drop you off at your room?”

“Fine.” She found the number on the key and led the way to the elevators.

“I can make it to dinner tonight and tomorrow. Is that alright?”

She leaned back on the wall and stared at the floor. “Yeah.”

“If you find something while you're out, let me know, or I can pick a place.”

“Sounds good.”

“You’re not upset, are you? Because I can—”

She looked at him. “No. Just wasn’t how I saw this going, but you can’t control what happens when you’re not there. This is important to you. It’ll be fine. I’ll find something to do.” They exited the elevator and found her room. She turned to him. “I’ll see you for dinner?”

He let go of his luggage and put a hand on her waist. “Yes, and I’ll make this up to you.”

She laid her hands on his chest. “Promise?”

“I promise.” He leaned down to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, speaking against his lips, “So was Plan C going to happen while we were here?”

“Yeah.”

She grinned and pulled back. “Really?”

“Yes. But the plans have fallen through now.”

“We could just do Plan C after you’re done.”

“It was time sensitive.”

“Will you tell me what it was?”

“Later.” He ducked his head to kiss her again with a few more slow passes of their lips.

\--

Rose found a few museums to browse, spent an afternoon by the pool reading a book, and then she met him for both dinners as planned.

“We’re nearly finished,” he said on the second night, lifting a glass of wine to his lips after the server had taken their orders.

She’d opted to sit next to him in the booth, rather than across the table. “Sorted everything?”

“Yes, so I’ll meet you tomorrow morning.”

“My room? Are you bringing your bags with you?”

He grinned. “Missed me, have you?”

“Yeah, actually.”

He reached for her hand. “Me, too.”

She leaned into him. “I shouldn’t miss you. We’ve known each other for less than a month, but I do.”

“I’m really sorry about all this.”

“Don’t keep apologizing. It’s just that you go from sleeping alone to sleeping with someone in your bed, especially after having had someone to share your bed in the past, and it starts to feel lonely again when someone’s not there.”

“I get it.”

Her index finger trailed down his bicep. “You know, you haven’t really shared much about yourself, aside from your outrageous traveling stories.”

“Are you asking if I’ve had someone to share my bed with?”

“Yeah.”

“The occasional non-serious girlfriend. Other than that, used to be a lot of someones.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh.”

“Not—” He laughed. “No, not multiple people at once. I only hosted one lady per night when I did. I don't judge people's choices, though. Different strokes as they say.”

“I bet you had your pick of the crowd.”

“I did, yeah. Made my head a bit big for a time. But I was an awkward, gangly teenager, all limbs and no substance. Somewhere in my mid-twenties, something changed and the women couldn’t keep away. I suppose, since I was in America at the time, a lot of it had to do with the accent. Women love a man with an accent, let me tell you. Even unattractive men, my mates who were far less attractive than me, were given an instant pass. The Americans hated us.”

“You’re probably one of those men that age like fine wine, like Jeff Goldblum or Harrison Ford.”

“I hope so.”

She grinned. _Me, too._ “So you earned some mileage?”

“I did, yeah. Never rude, and not so much anymore. I had a good run of about three years before my research was pulled. And then my parents passed within a few years of each other. Life changed, not much action since then. Every now and again I’ll hit a club just to keep myself fresh, when I feel the need for it.”

“Have you secretly been hitting the clubs here in Milan?”

“No, haven’t had time, unfortunately.” He winked. “Shame, because there’s a few good ones. There’s one below the train station. The atmosphere’s great.”

“Maybe we can go tomorrow night? Celebrate you fixing your project?”

“Sounds great. We’ll have a proper adventure tomorrow and a night at the club.”

She scrunched her nose. “Sounds like a _date_ to me.”

“It would be, yes, but it’s not _the_ date.”

“The way you’re painting this, it’d better be more magnificent than the Sistine Chapel.”

“It will measure up in every possible way, I promise.”

“Y’know…” She sighed.

“Yes?”

“I used to club with my girlfriends back home.”

“Yeah?”

“We had the greatest times. They'd try to pull us, but we’d laugh them off, unless they were pretty.”

He smirked. “Have a thing for pretty men?”

“Only the prettiest.”

He stared for a moment. “Be careful with that.”

“Why?”

He leaned in. “I might kiss you and never stop.”

“I wouldn’t complain, but if you did, I’d never get to look at you.”

“Can’t have that, now can we?”

She giggled and cupped his cheek for a brief brush of their lips.

He squeezed her hand. “Do you miss your friends?”

“Yeah. I never got the chance to say goodbye. Maybe it’s better that way. Sometimes I caught up with them when I'd visit my mum, but they were living their lives and I was living mine. And I’m on a list of the dead at Canary Wharf.”

“Wouldn’t do to have your dead friend pop in.”

“No. And I haven’t found them over here. Haven’t looked, really.”

“Do you think you will?”

“I dunno. People are different.”

“You could at least check. No harm in looking someone up. Maybe arrange the accidental meeting.”

“My mum has friends over here that she had back home. She seems fine with that. Maybe if I’d started out differently.” She shook her head. “I dunno. She took to this world easy, like she belonged here.”

“Why d’you think?”

“Mum’s worked hard all her life. Here, it was a huge step up from the estates. I reckon she had a long time to plan how she’d live her life if that ever happened, won the lotto, maybe. Not that she’s greedy or anything. Really, she deserves it after putting up with me. Her husband back from the dead, another child comes along? She never thought she’d have that chance, and here she’s got it. ‘S’like a dream for her. The Doctor knew what he was doing.”

Their dishes arrived then. When he dropped her off at her room at the hotel, she pressed her back to the door. “You sure I can’t persuade you to stay here tonight?”

He braced his elbow on the door frame, crossing his ankles, and leaned towards her. “I’m sure you could, and quite easily, but I can’t.”

“Well, then.” She rose on her toes to kiss his cheek. “That’s all you get. Back to work.” She lightly smacked his bum.

He fixed his gaze on her as she backed into the room and closed the door. Then, scrubbing a hand down his face, he groaned. “Blimey, I hope she likes this.”

\--

 _Check the door when you wake,_ his morning text greeted her.

She found a folder. Inside was an itinerary for the day with a note. “If this is to your satisfaction, please call the concierge and confirm. Breakfast is waiting outside your door.” She looked more closely at the schedule and printouts of information on each item. He’d booked a session for her at one of the day spas (come to think of it, he’d been quite fond of that activity, hadn’t he?), dress shopping with a professional designer (Jackie would be envious), dinner, and then he’d managed to snag one of the fancy boxes at _Teatro alla Scala_ for the night’s performance of Mozart’s _Die Zauberflöte_. She opened the door to find a breakfast tray.

Then it hit her, why he’d been away since they arrived in town. She called him. “John."

“Yes, Rose?”

“You lied to me.”

“What ever could you possibly you mean?”

“You haven’t been Skyping with a colleague at Oxford, have you?”

“No, I have not.”

“You planned all of this?”

“Yes. Welcome to Plan C.”

“I thought we’d moved to D.”

“Oh, they’re one and the same. Letters are inconsequential.”

“All your talk of backup plans, you liar.”

“I did have alternative plans, other little things instead, depending on… well. What matters is are you fine with this?”

“Seems like an expensive date.”

“Nah, I called in a few favors. I spent a bit of time here on one of my travels.”

“Were you planning this all along, then?”

“I made sure we took our time in the Alps, hoping you’d be comfortable with me by now.”

She grinned and bit her pinky nail.

“You there?”

“Yeah, just… thank you. This really means a lot.”

“You’re welcome. Call the concierge, then. I’ll see you later.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.”

\--

He’d surprised her with a limo escort on the way to the spa. Once there, she undressed as instructed and donned a robe. A young woman situated her on the table on her stomach and placed a warm sheet over her bum and upper thighs. “Your masseuse will be in shortly,” she said. “You’ve got the best in the house. He was requested specially for you.”

“Thanks.” Interesting that he’d hired a male masseuse. The Doctor would have done no such thing, bristled at the very thought of another man standing next to her, and she had a moment of fondness for him.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before a pair of hands tentatively touched her above her shoulder blades. They traveled down her back in long strokes, thumbs pressing just above her hip bones, and then circled back up to her shoulder blades and started again, becoming firmer with each pass. _Classic Swedish,_ she mused. John had educated her on the different types (without demonstrations, unfortunately). She would have teased him about it had he been there.

She lost track of time. All the she knew was how good she felt.

“Rose.”

Oh, god, that was a whisper if she ever heard one. Could she have a recording of it to help her to sleep?

“Rose.”

She lifted her head slightly to look at him. She had to be imagining things.

He smiled.

Her eyes went wide. “John?” Then she realized most of her body was uncovered, and she squeaked a little bit, pulling up the sheet beneath her to cover her breasts.

He chuckled. “Relax. This is entirely professional. I was only here to get you started. I can continue if you’d like, or I can pull in someone else.”

She blinked.

He scratched the back of his neck. “Really, I only wanted to make sure you had the best.”

Her eyebrow raised. “And who better than you?”

“Well…” A smirk tugged at his lips.

She swatted his hip. “Git. Why didn’t you tell me? I’m lying here full starkers on a table. I know your looks can melt knickers right off, but we’re barely into the day and you’ve got me undressed already.”

He tugged his earlobe. “I suppose I didn’t think that through. Sorry.”

“Too busy trying to be impressive.”

“Oh, don’t say you weren’t impressed. How do you feel?”

“Fine, but before we do anything else today, any more surprises I should know about?”

“Nothing like this. And only fine?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course it feels great. What’s next?”

“You’re alright with…” He nodded to the table.

“Cat’s out of the bag, so might as well. Are you sure this isn’t an excuse to cop a feel? Hell of a first date.”

He chuckled again. “I can assure you this is entirely professional.” He moved to the other end of the table. “This might tickle a bit.” He took her foot in hand and rubbed his thumbs over the soles.

“No, that feels bloody good.” And different. The care she perceived in the masseuse's touch was amplified, knowing it was him. He wasn't angling for more, but she could easily see how he could make it erotic... and the idea was titillating.

He finished with her feet and moved to her calves and the backs of her lower thighs. “Hold on,” he said once he’d finished.

The same young woman from earlier stepped in to help her flip over and cover up again.

“One last thing before you move on for the day.” He stood at the end of the table behind her head and worked her neck, upper arms, and face. “I’ll see you later for dinner,” he whispered in her ear.

She lifted her head. “That’s it?”

He shrugged as he headed towards the door. “If I did anything else, I’d hate to lose my ability to remain professional.”

Her jaw dropped.

He winked.

\--

Rose slipped back into the limo, finding a sandwich and hot chips had been placed on the seat for lunch.

Then it was on to the department store for her appointment with the designer. She tried on several dresses and took a few pics for Jackie, but one stood out as the perfect dress for the evening. At first glance, she would not have picked it, with its conservative front, a bit of ruching at the waist, but then she saw the back. The fabric clasped together behind her neck, but the back was open down to her hips with two large knots of fabric in the back. The skirt was had two long slits on either side.

She could play the temptress, she decided, especially with those knots and her exposed skin. If he was going to say something like he had, she was allowed to have fun, too.

The hair and makeup artist worked pulled her hair into a artfully messy bun and used neutral tones for her face. She selected simple crystal teardrop earrings.

Everything together, she left to see John standing by the limo, waiting for her. She grinned at the sight of him in his tuxedo, and he looked a little flustered at how beautiful she was.

“Rose, you’re… gorgeous.”

“Thanks,” she said demurely. “Not so bad yourself.” She looped her arm through his and stroked his jacket. “Feels like silk. I love it. Might have a hard time keeping my hands away.”

He opened the door for her, touching the small of her back. Her theory on the dress was correct. Anytime he had the chance that night through dinner or dancing, his hand rested in that spot, his thumb sliding beneath that knotted fabric, and nearly every time he touched her there, goosebumps rippled down her arms.

Once they’d made it to their posh box at the theater, Rose kept shifting in her seat.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“No. I love this dress, but I suspect it’s not made for sitting.”

“The knots?”

“Yeah, pressing into my back.” She winced and tried to adjust them in vain. “One would be bad by itself, so I’m glad there’s two, but still…” She huffed and moved to the edge of her seat.

“Those pesky knots. They’ve been demanding my attention all evening, so I can imagine how it is for you.”

“They have?” She smiled sweetly.

“Yes. I can think of a few solutions for that.”

“Like what?”

“I could untie them for you, but I’d rather save that for later, if I may?”

“I was hoping you would.”

“Good.” His eyes darted to the floor and back to her.

There it was, she thought, a crack in the façade. She’d loved those rare moments when the Doctor let his bravado slip, when he was vulnerable. She could always see past the persona he projected to everyone else, could always read him, but even he had his limits, and she was often the one who pushed him to it.

Everyone had their limits, including John. He'd asked if she was nervous, but that was a projection.

She had him exactly where she wanted him. Time to turn on the Tyler charm. She looked up at him through her eyelashes. “What’s your other solution?”

“You could sit with me.”

“For the whole opera?”

“Well. The time we stay is negotiable.”

“And what if I want to see the whole thing?”

“We’ll stay as long as you like.”

“Alright.” She moved to his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His arm found its way around her waist, holding her secure, and his free hand hooked itself over her knees. “Better?” he asked softly.

“Yeah.”

He brushed his nose against her cheek. “Good.”

The lights dimmed in the house, the overture began, and Rose’s calf muscle began to cramp. As she tried to remove her strappy heels, the first came off easily, but she found her other foot was wedged between the side of the chair and his leg. “John, can you help?”

“Yes.” He moved his arm from her waist and reached through the slit in the dress.

She jumped when he stroked her leg, tightening her arms around his neck. Giggling, she said, “With my shoe, you plum. It’s stuck.”

“I’ll move it.” He tenderly caressed her foot.

She squirmed. “Taking your time.”

“And enjoying it.”

“We’re supposed to be watching the opera.”

“This is drama enough, isn’t it?”

“You don’t really want to be here, do you?”

“I’m happy to be wherever you are.”

“Why book us a night at the opera if you really wanted to skip to the after party? Because your mind isn’t anywhere near this theater.”

“Nonsense. My mind is right here with you.”

She cupped his neck and kissed his cheek, her lips lingering for a few seconds.

He squeezed his legs together and gently freed her foot. “Better?”

“My hands are tied up.” She combed her fingers through his hair. “Would you mind?”

“Not at all.”

Shoe off, she pressed her knees to his chest and pulled him in for a good snog.

“Wait, Rose.” He returned his arm to holding her waist and leaned in again.

The opera continued, but it faded to the background as they kissed. Even the applause at the end of the first scene couldn’t deter them. When she pulled back for air, he kissed her jaw, her neck, behind her ear. She returned the ministrations to give him a moment, stopping when he touched her chin. Their eyes met and they smiled as their lips touched again. Passion turned to tenderness, and they slowly, reluctantly parted.

“We can definitely leave early,” she offered.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She turned her attention to the stage. “I have no idea what’s happening.” He whispered the plot to her, but Rose paid it no mind. His breath tickled the shell of her ear and his sultry tone hit straight between her thighs.

“Make sense?”

“No. I wasn’t really listening.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Your voice is completely distracting.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“You could say anything and I’d be turned on.”

“Ah. That’s…" He pulled back and stared at her. "Really?”

“Yes. Can’t help myself.”

“I’ve memorized some Shakespeare. Would you be interested in that?”

“God, yes, anything.”

“Would Sonnet Eighteen be terribly cliché?”

“How many times have you pulled with that?”

“Plenty, and it hasn’t failed me yet.”

“You can summer’s day me anytime you want, John Noble.”

As he whispered in her ear, he punctuated the lines with caresses of his lips and hands, even daring to brush her breast.

“Copping a feel now?”

“I don’t have to be professional.”

“If that’s the case," she said, pressing her nose to his ear, "touch me.”

“Wouldn’t you rather leave now? I can have the limo come round.”

“No.”

He searched her eyes. “Draw the curtain slowly.”

“Why?”

“We’ve done alright with staying quiet, but I don’t fancy anyone watching me reach beneath your knickers.”

“For your eyes only?”

“Yes.” His face was dead serious. “Y-you’re really stealing my thunder here, Rose. I had a night planned at the hotel.”

Her plan had worked _perfectly._ “If you touch me now, we can leave at intermission.”

“Even sooner than that. With the curtain drawn, we can easily slip out.” His hand slipped beneath the slit of her skirt, but he paused. “This is a bit of an awkward position.”

“You think?”

“Let me up. You sit.”

“Okay.” She shivered as he framed her hips with his hands and guided her back to the seat.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered. He pulled her hips forward, and Rose had to fight a bout of giggles as he hooked his fingers in the lace of her knickers and slowly pulled them down. She gripped the armrests as he swept aside her dress and draped her leg over his shoulder. She was anticipating his fingers but was surprised at the feel of his tongue brushing against her. And, oh, he was good. Alternating light and firm strokes, vertical and horizontal, lapping and sucking, he seemed to know just what would drive her to the brink of pleasure. She squeezed her thighs around his head and threw hers back against the seat. Her fight to stay quiet, increasingly difficult by the second, only added to her bliss.

Then he stopped.

“John!” she hissed. “I was nearly there!” She could feel his chuckle on her skin.

“Needy, are you?” He kissed her inner thigh.

“You made me.”

“My apologies.”

“Don’t do it again.”

“Trying to make the moment last.” His head dipped, and he began the dance of his tongue once more. This time, he hummed, for quite a long time she noticed, but it felt divine. She fisted her hand in his hair and held him closer.

Then it hit her, the clever man. “John, are you humming with the music?”

He lifted his head. “I love this opera.”

“But you’re missing it.”

“Worth it.”

She leaned down to kiss him, lips hungry for his.

“Let me finish you,” he said.

“Please.”

To his ministrations, he added a finger, two, pumping, curling into her. With a final, hard suck of her clit, she came around him.

When she was calm, she brushed her fingers through his hair, and he rose on his knees to meet her. “Good?”

“Yeah.” She pushed him to the floor and straddled his hips. “Had to get your thunder back?”

“Yeah.”

“I suspect it wasn’t your accent that had the ladies knocking down your door in America.”

He grinned. “Y’think?”

“You’re practically a professional. Women talk.”

“I’m a good study is all.”

“Mmm, I’d like to study you.” She traced her finger from the apple of his cheek to his neck, down to one of his shirt buttons and circled it.

“Yeah?”

“Thoroughly.”

“Not here. Let me text the driver.”

She reached into his inner jacket pocket before he could and pulled out his mobile.

“Trying to steal my thunder again?”

“You haven’t seen the best of me yet.”

“I can’t wait.” He turned his attention to the device. The driver replied swiftly, and they stopped at their respective toilets to collect themselves before exiting the theater. “Don’t need you on the rags for your mum to see,” he’d said.

“I’m sure she’d appreciate your point.”

“And I don’t need one of those famed Jackie Tyler slaps.” He pecked her lips before heading in. “Be out in a mo’.”

\--

Rose straddled his hips after the driver had closed the door of the limo.

He fumbled for the privacy screen control and gripped one of the knots on the back of her dress. “I really want to untie this knot. I really, _really_ want to. I’ve been wanting to all night, ever since I first saw you in this dress.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I’d like to kiss you more, but all this fabric in the way…” He took a good look at her neck, her chest.

“My eyes are up here.”

“I’ll look at them in a minute.”

She giggled and bit her lip. “You got my knickers earlier. Now it’s my turn.”

“Yes?”

She fiddled with his bowtie before untying it and stuffing it in his left jacket pocket. “Where are my knickers, by the way? Those were expensive. You didn’t leave them?”

“No, no. In a different pocket. I’d never leave expensive knickers behind.”

“An uncultured swine might have ripped them.” Her hand drifted to his right pocket. “Not there.” She unbuttoned his jacket and went for a trouser pocket. “Not the right.” Her hand brushed his half-hard length on its way to the left, prompting a groan from him. She smirked and pressed her hand more deliberately. She would have unbuttoned his trousers, but he caught her hand.

“Another time.”

“Alright.”

He kissed her palm, holding her gaze.

“Seems a little unfair, you getting to have all the fun.”

“I told you, this is about you. I’m here to show a lady a good time.”

“Shouldn’t I decide what a good time is?”

“Fair point, but you can have a good time any other time, I promise. I welcome it, in fact.” He laved the inside of her wrist, gently catching her skin in his teeth. “For now, enjoy the ride.”

“I intend to.”

The limo stopped and the driver knocked on the window.

“Your room,” he directed.

She picked up her shoes from the seat and they headed into the hotel.

\--

They managed to hold themselves together on the elevator and the walk to her room. At her door, she pulled him by his lapels and backed up to the hard surface. Her hands around his neck, she managed to fish her card out of her clutch, and without looking, keyed them into the room.

Just as she reached for the light switch, he caught her hand and spun her around, and her jaw dropped at the sight.

Around the room were a number of flameless candles. The light was gentle, but it was plenty to see by. Rose petals were scattered on the floor and bed.

He started working at those knots he’d been dying to untie. He sighed in relief and undid the clasp at her neck. He placed a hand on her stomach and pulled her flush against him. His lips descended to the back of her neck. “Finally.”

She giggled and turned in his arms. “This, all of this. Everything about today. It’s beautiful.”

He smiled down at her. “Not nearly as beautiful as you.”

“Flatterer.”

He walked her to the bed and ran his hands up her back. “Nary a dishonest word leaves these lips, Rose Tyler."

She grinned. "You lied about this."

"You know what I mean. Now, lie back.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What?”

He slipped the dress off of her arms. It pooled on the floor around her feet. “On the bed.”

“Bit alpha.”

“Is that alright?” he asked, softly.

She smiled. “Yeah.”

“Good.” His eyes immediately left hers to get that much anticipated gaze at her body. “I said you were gorgeous earlier. That was before I had really seen you. You are a work of art. And if you remember, I like to take my time in museums.”

“I remember.” She smiled.

His arm encircled her waist and he gently leaned her back. “Up by the pillows, please, and roll over.”

She narrowed her eyes. "Awful polite for an alpha. We'll have to work on that." She then crawled to the head of the bed and laid on her stomach as requested. Crossing her ankles in the air, she leaned up on her elbows and looked over her shoulder, grinning for all she was worth at the look on his face. "What next?"

His jaw snapped shut. “I, ehm." He shook his head. "I gave you the professional massage earlier today. But now I intend to give you…” He shifted forward and grabbed a bottle from the night stand, pouring some oil in his hand. 

“Give me what?”

“Just a moment.” He rubbed his hands together to warm it. Jasmine wafted through the air. 

“You’re quite fond of massages, aren’t you?”

“Any excuse to touch you.”

She bumped his hip with her elbow. “I knew it.”

“I swear I had no ulterior motive earlier today.”

“So you’re, what, finishing the job?”

“Can’t have you giving me bad reviews, can I?”

“No. That smells good, by the way.”

“Supposed to. Jasmine is an aphrodisiac.”

“I’m aware, but I’m not sure I need it after your earlier performance.”

“I hadn't planned for that diversion. Even still.” He straddled her prone body. “As I was saying, I gave you the professional massage. Now I intend to give you—” he whispered in her ear, smoothing his hands down her arms—“the _professional_ massage.”

She giggled. “You’re so _dramatic.”_

He stroked her back. “Shhhhh. The only sounds I want to hear from you…” He squeezed her arse, and she keened. “Are ones like that.”

“Should've known you were a talker.”

“Yeah, but my voice is sexy, right? Clearly you thought so at the theater.”

“Talk about yourself anymore, you’ll turn into a flower.”

“Narcissus, eh?” He threaded his arm beneath her and inched his hand down her torso.

Her stomach swooped in anticipation.

“The only flower I’m into right now is you, Rose. I can assure you, my attention is fully directed at you.” He slid a finger through her slick folds. “Wet again already.”

“Yeah, and if you don’t do something about it—”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have made me wait all day to undo those knots.”

She rocked her hips against his hand, desperate for some friction. “Next time, we’ll just go out naked.”

He stood on his knees, pulling her with him. “Right, visit a nude beach.”

“Right, taking matters into my own hand.” She adjusted so her stance was wider. She grabbed his hand and moved it how she desperately wanted.

He kissed her shoulder and took control with his thumb.

She grasped his forearm and his thigh. As she cried out and rocked her hips, she was pressed to his cock, thoroughly hard by now, and he grunted, but he seemingly refused to indulge himself.

She was going to break the seal on this man even if it killed her. He’d already proven himself to be a considerate lover. Why the insistence?

He cupped her bosom, thumb brushing her nipple, rolling it in his fingers, nearly distracting her from her thoughts as it pushed her over the edge.

She laced her fingers through his and leaned back against him.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

“Well, now that we have _that_ taken care of, lie down, Rose Tyler.”

“Still on about this?”

“I’m very persistent.”

She giggled. “Obviously.” She laid in front of him, watching him over her shoulder.

He sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at her body.

"Like what you see?"

He trailed his hand down her spine. "Yes. You’ve got a perfect arse.”

“I work out a lot, at least I did before this trip. Helps to focus my energy on something.”

His hand stilled. “Rose, turn over.”

The change in tone left her breathless, and she found nothing but tenderness in his eyes as he waited for her to move.

He leaned over her, his voice soft and his eyes never leaving hers. “You don’t have to feel alone now, not if you don’t want to.”

She’d said those words before, to somebody who felt alone, and now she knew just how powerful they were. Tears threatened as she pulled him down, curling into his body when he lay on his side. She worked at the buttons of his shirt and pressed her hands to his pecs, sliding down to his stomach. His muscles flexed under her touch, and he groaned. He gripped her thigh, pulling her leg over his hip, and took advantage of the position to grind his hips into her. She gasped at the feel of him against her, pleased he was giving in. She reached between them to work on his trousers, but he sat up.

“I brought…” he panted, “condoms.” He nodded to the nightstand as he fully undressed.

“IUD,” she answered. “It’s easier not to menstruate.”

“I’m sure, and that's good to know, but I have special ones just for this evening.” He pulled out a foil packet out of a drawer. “Would you do me the honor, please?”

She raised an eyebrow as she took it. “Lie back,” she directed, echoing his words from earlier. She nearly melted at the look in his eyes, the fascination and curiosity and desire.

She took his cock in hand and stroked a few times. The tip was already moist and she cleaned it with her tongue.

“Oh, god,” he said, head leaning back.

“Like that, do you?” She licked the underside from base to head.

He reached for her hair. “A lot, yeah.”

Then she took one of his balls into her mouth, massaging it with her tongue.

“Fuck, Rose!” His fingers tightened. “Rose,” he chuckled.

“What? Just nice to see the crack in the façade for once.”

“You can crack my façade any other time, but I wanted—Christ!”

She'd enveloped him in her mouth and bobbed her head a few times. She winked. “Wanted to be inside me, right?”

He let out a breathy laugh. “Rubber, yeah?”

“Why’s it so important to you?” She tore the foil.

“Look at it.”

She bit her lip and eyed his groin. "Very impressive indeed."

"Thanks, but I meant the condom."

She studied the latex in her palm. “Is that…”

“Go on.”

She rolled the latex down his length, smirking at his restrained grunt, and then delighted in the shimmery latex. “Oh my god, it is! Sparkly! And a lovely shade of pink, at that.” She fell on her side with laughter.

He lay with her when she looked up at him. “I found them just for you.”

“You’re…”

“Full of surprises?” He half smiled, pulling her into his arms and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Full of something.”

He kissed her neck. “My member is quite full at the moment. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

He leaned over her, pausing as he took in her every curve.

“What?”

“You’re so beautiful.”

She grinned. “Thank you. Wait ‘til you see my penetrative intercourse orgasm face.”

“Right, sorry.” He lined himself up at her entrance and pushed in.

“John?” she keened.

“Yes?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been fucked, so just, y'know, go for it.”

“Good to know.” He leaned over her and hooked her knees on his arms, raising her hips.

She watched him as he thrust into her, eyes closed in a chase of release, brows furrowed. She brushed some of his fringe away. Tenderly caressed his cheek.

He paused and opened his eyes. “Are you, y’know, enjoying this?”

She smiled. “Yeah, feels great. It’s just nice to look at you.”

He moved his arms to either side of her head and kissed her, slowly moving his hips.

“You’ve been so… _ah,_ thoughtful—” He’d sat up and lifted her hips, picking up the pace. She gripped his arm. Her nails dug into his skin as she reached the brink of climax. She threw her head back and pleasure exploded behind her eyes, and with a few hard, deliberate thrusts, he let himself go. She touched his chest when he collapsed next to her. “God,” she said, “it’s been so long since I’ve had a thing that doesn't vibrate and attached to a body inside of me.”

The corner of his lips turned up. “And how was it?”

“Bloody brilliant. And you do give a spectacular finish.”

He chuckled and pecked her lips. “I'll be right back.” When he returned from the loo, he said, “I quite like your orgasm face, by the way.”

“Thought you might. Play your cards right and you’ll see it in the morning.” She turned down the covers for him after slipping underneath.

“That sounds promising.” He pulled her close as she laid her head on his chest.

And then, one by one, the flameless candles turned off around the room. They watched until the last went out.

“What was that about?” Rose asked in the dark.

“I suppose they had a timer.”

She giggled and yawned.

“Do you still want to hit the club tomorrow?”

“Mmhmm.” She lightly nodded and nuzzled his neck. “Wanna see your moves.”

He wiggled his hips. “I’ve got moves if you want to see moves.”

She giggled. “Clearly. Right now I want to sleep.”

“Sorry.”

“S’fine.”

“It’s just been a long time since… well, sorry, I’ll let you sleep.”

She opened her eyes. “No, what do you need to say?”

“Since I’ve felt connected to someone.”

She smiled.

“I’m a drifter. Sometimes you… you’re drifting for so long you forget…” He shrugged. “Well, life is better when you have someone to drift with.” He met her eyes and they watched each other for a moment. “Well, I mean to say…”

“Are you asking if I’d like to drift with you?”

“Is that really my place to ask, though? Is it… is it time? I don’t know.”

“John.” She cupped his cheek. “You can ask. And we can drift together. I would be happy to drift with you.”

His face lit up. “Really?”

“Yes.”

He surged forward and captured her lips, rolling over her.

She giggled as her arms naturally found their way around his neck. “I’m still sleepy, John.”

“You can. I just want to show my appreciation first.”

Her legs wrapped around his waist. “Definitely feeling the appreciation.”

“Good.” He sucked on her bottom lip.

“John?”

“Yeah?” He lifted his head.

“Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome.” He held her tight and flipped them over. “We can sleep now.”

“Okay.” She giggled and patted his chest, lifting herself off of him.

“Roll over. I want to spoon you.”

“Playing your cards right?” She grinned at him over her shoulder.

He squeezed her side. “Yes.”

“I like being taken from behind, by the way.”

“Noted.”

“I also like being on top.”

“And here I thought you were sleepy?”

“I am.”

He cupped her breast. “Because you’re not doing a good job of convincing me.”

She swatted his hand. “Sleep now, sex in the morning.”

“Fine.” He traced circles on her stomach with his thumb.

The motion was gentle, but it was enough to cause her core to simmer again, what with her whole body still buzzing. “John?” she said after a few moments.

“Yeah?”

She looked over her shoulder. “I’m not sleepy anymore.”

“Y’know,” he said, nose brushing the curve of her ear, “I’d love to revisit our position at the opera. And I’d love for you to be on top.”

"You think the headboard is sturdy enough?”

“It’s what they make ‘em for.”


End file.
